THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 
IN    THE    ADIRONDACKS 


"LOOK!   LOOK  !"  SYLVIA  WHISPERED    (Page  293) 


THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS 
IN  THE  ADIRONDACKS 

OR 

THE   DESERTED  BUNGALOW  ON 
SARANAC  LAKE 


BY 


GERTRUDE  CALVERT  HALL 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

E.    C.    CASWELL 


COPTKIOHT,  1915,  IT 

DODD.  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 


PS 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  THE  NOWADAYS  CLUB          ...  1 

II  A  TELEGRAM 9 

III  PREPARATIONS       .....  18 

IV  "  WATCH  YOUR  STEP  ! "     .        .        .  27 
V  IN  SYRACUSE 37 

VI  THE  MISSING  EMERALD  ...  44$ 

VII  OVERBOARD 53 

VIII  THE  GOLF  BALL  ....  65 

IX  ONWARD 72 

.  X  A  NIGHT  OUT 79 

XI  TROUBLE '89 

XII  THE  MOTOR  BOAT       .        .        .        .94 

XIII  BY  THEMSELVES           .        .                .  106 

XIV  A  DISMAL  PROSPECT  ....  113 
XV  A  LONELY  NIGHT        .        .        .        .120 

XVI  THE  LOON 127 

XVII  IN  CAMP 137 

XVIII  CANOEING 145 

XIX  THE  MASQUERADE       .        .        .        .151 

XX  THE  MYSTIC  MOON     .        .        .        .  163 

XXI  THE  MYSTERY  DEEPENS     .        .        .  170 

XXH  BAD  NEWS  .  177 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

XXIII  AT  SARANAC     . 

XXIV  WORRIMENT 

XXV  MAKING  PLANS 

XXVI  A  LONELY  PLACE     . 

XXVII  THE  DESERTED  BUNGALOW 

XXVin  MISSING     .... 

XXIX  A  SLEEPLESS  NIGHT 

XXX  A  GENEEAL  ALARM 

XXXI  THE  SEARCH    . 

XXXII  LOST         .... 

XXXIII  UNEXPECTED  HELP 

XXXIV  FOUND      .... 

XXXV  RECOVERY 


PAGB 

185 
191 
199 

207 


223 
234 
241 
249 
256 
274 
281 
294 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Look !    Look ! "  Sylvia  whispered  .       Frontispiece 
(Page  293)  FACING 

PAGE 

"  We  certainly  are  doing  it  in  style ! "  mur 
mured  Hazel 34 

Sylvia  presently  found  herself  whirling  through 
it  with  a  Spaniard  who  danced  wonder 
fully  well  166 

Sylvia  and  her  chums  were  all  in  better  spirits 
now  that  they  were  actually  on  their  way 
to  see  Roy 212 


THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 
IN    THE    ADIRONDACKS 


CHAPTER   I 

THE  NOWADAYS  CLUB 

THE  chugging  taxicab  stopped  in  front  of  the  apart 
ment  on  Central  Park,  West,  and  the  uniformed  door 
attendant  bowed  out  of  it,  and  into  the  marble  vesti 
bule,  a  demure  girl  with  rosy  cheeks. 

"  Miss  Pursell?  "  she  asked,  and  there  was  that  in 
her  voice  which  made  the  elevator  boy  look  a  second 
time ;  and  he  was  not  unused  to  seeing  pretty  girls  and 
hearing  them  speak. 

"  Third  floor,  miss,"  he  said,  with  a  quick  touch  of 
his  hand  to  his  much-gold-braided  cap.  Then,  as  he 
clanged  the  steel-grilled  door  shut,  he  favored  the 
hall-man  with  a  distinct  wink,  which  Rose  Bancroft 
did  not  see.  But  had  she  seen  it  she  would,  perhaps, 
have  given  it  little  consideration,  since  it  did  not  con 
cern  her. 

What  did  concern  her  was  reaching  her  friend 
Sylvia  Pursell  as  soon  as  possible.  There  were  more 
reasons  than  one  for  this,  but  perhaps  the  one  with 
which  we  may  now  concern  ourselves  was  that  Rose 
had  been  travelling  since  early  morning,  having  but 
just  arrived  at  the  Grand  Central  Terminal  from 
Syracuse. 

Travelling  in  even  the  best-portered  Pullman,  in  the 


2  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

middle  of  the  "  Chicago  Special,"  is  very  apt  to  grime 
one  up,  especially  if  the  aforesaid  one  be  wearing 
a  particularly  light  and  dainty  dress.  So  Rose,  as 
she  was  shot  upward  in  the  smooth-running  elevator, 
wondered  whether  the  coloured  maid  at  the  Grand 
Central  had  made  sure  that  there  was  no  cinder  dust 
on  the  end  of  her  nose. 

"  For,"  reflected  Rose  to  herself,  "  if  there  is  one 
thing  more  than  another,  that  makes  a  girl  lose  her 
smartness  and  dignity,  it  is  a  black  spot  on  the  end 
of  her  nose." 

And  Rose  had  her  special  reasons  for  wanting  to 
look  at  least  "  smart "  when  she  reached  Sylvia's 
apartment.  I'll  tell  you  why  later.  She  ventured 
to  glance  into  the  bevelled  mirror  which  made  up  the 
whole  back  of  the  car,  but  the  electric  bulb  was  shaded 
with  a  rose-tinted  glass,  and  while  it  made  a  very 
pretty  effect,  still  it  was  not  conducive  to  illumina 
tion. 

"  I'm  almost  sure  there's  a  spot,"  thought  Rose, 
but  she  dared  not  raise  her  veil  to  make  sure.  And 
just  then  the  elevator  lad,  who  had  been  favouring 
his  solitary  passenger  with  more  than  one  surrepti 
tious  glance,  called  out,  in  a  most  respectful  tone  of 
voice,  a  voice  not  at  all  in  keeping  with  his  previous 
facetious  wink: 

"  Your  floor !    Miss  Pursell's !  " 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Rose,  quietly,  and  stepped  out. 

A  few  moments  later,  Rose  having  been  ushered  into 
a  pretty  reception  hall,  and  thence  to  the  drawing- 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  3 

room,  she  and  Sylvia  had  their  arms  around  each 
other,  and  Sylvia  was  kissing  her  friend,  regardless 
of  whether  or  not  there  was  a  spot  on  Rose's  face — 
her  nose  or  anywhere  else. 

"  It  was  so  sweet  of  you  to  come  down  from 
Syracuse,  my  dear !  " 

"  Nonsense,  it  was  just  perfectly  lovely  of  you 
to  ask  me.  I  am  so  interested ! " 

"  I  thought  you'd  be !  Did  you  have  a  tiresome 
trip?" 

"  Oh,  not  especially  so.  We  were  a  little  late, 
but  made  it  up.  Mrs.  Blake,  mamma's  friend,  you 
know,  came  part  way  with  me." 

"  That  was  nice.  Janet,  take  Miss  Bancroft's 
things,  and  then  tell  Perkins  we'll  have  tea  in  here." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Pursell." 

"Are  the  other  girls  here?  "asked  Rose,  as  she 
made  sure  this  time,  by  a  hasty  glance  in  a  well- 
lighted  mirror,  that  there  was  not  a  spot  on  her 
nose. 

"  No,  they're  coming  to-night,  I  presume.  Hazel 
was  away  when  my  telegram  reached  her,  but  she 
left  Chicago  last  night,  and  ought  to  be  here  now. 
I'm  not  so  sure  when  Alice  will  arrive.  You  know 
her  style." 

"  Indeed  I  do.  If  she  doesn't  arrive  to-day,  next 
week  will  do.  But  are  you  really  going  to  carry 
out  your  plan  ?  " 

"  I  most  certainly  am,  my  dear !  I  don't  plan 
things  and  then  not  do  them," 


4  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"Yes.  I  know,  Sylvia,  but  this  going  off  to  the 
Adironmfcks,  all  by  ourselves ' 

"  But  we'll  not  be  by  ourselves.  Aunt  Theodora 
Leigh  Brownley  will  chaperon  us,  and — 

"  You  didn't  leave  out  any  of  her  name ;  did  you  ?  " 
and  Rose  laughed  a  merry  laugh,  that  sounded  like 
the  tinkle  of  ice  in  a  strawberry-tinted  pitcher  of  \ 
lemonade  on  a  hot  day. 

"  She  rather  likes  her  whole  title,"  answered  Sylvia. 
"  But  you  knew  she  was  going  with  us ;  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  I  wasn't  sure,"  and  Rose  turned  at  the  entrance 
of  the  butler  with  the  tray  of  tea  things  as  though 
she  expected  to  see  some  one  else. 

"  Oh,  indeed  mamma  wouldn't  consent  to  my  mak 
ing  up  the  party  at  all  until  I  had  arranged  for  a 
chaperon.  Of  course  Aunt  Theodora  Leigh  Brown- 
ley  is  rather  a  handicap  in  ways,  but  she  is  so  good, 
and  she  doesn't  mind  sitting  up  until  all  hours  at  a 
dance." 

"  Oh,  then  we  are  going  to  dance !  "  and  the  eyes 
of  Rose  glistened,  while  her  breath  seemed  to  come 
faster  between  her  parted  lips. 

"  Of  course,  my  dear !  There  will  be  some  men  up 
there,  I  hope!  " 

"  Oh,  won't  it  be  just  perfectly  all  right! " 

"  I  hope  you'll  find  it  so.  Let  me  see — you  take 
lemon  ?  "  and  Sylvia  paused  questioningly  with  a  slice 
held  over  Rose's  cup. 

"  Lemon,  yes.    And  two  lumps,  please." 

The  tinkle  of  silver  on  eggshell  china  filled  a  pause. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  5 

and  then  the  girls  looked  into  each  other's  eyes.  In 
Rose's  was  a  question  she  wanted  to  ask,  but  hardly 
dared.  Several  times  it  was  at  her  lips,  but  somehow 
she  forced  it  back.  And  when  she  had  made  up  her 
mind  to  ask  it  there  came  a  ring  of  the  bell. 

"  Telephone  ?  "  questioned  Rose. 

"  No,  the  entrance  hall.    I  wonder " 

Sylvia  paused,  listening,  and  when  she  heard  the 
unseen  caller  ask  for  her  she  started  at  the  sound  of 
a  drawling  voice — a  voice  of  Southern  unctuousness 
and  richness.  Then  she  arose  from  the  little  table,  so 
precipitately  as  almost  to  overturn  it,  though  Rose 
saved  it  in  time. 

"  Sylvia !  "  gasped  Rose.    "  You " 

"  It's  Alice,"  was  the  excuse  offered.  "  Here  we 
are,  Alice ! "  she  went  on,  and  a  girl — a  tall,  slender 
girl,  with  dark  eyes,  that  sparkled  from  underneath 
dark  brows,  and  lighted  up  a  face  of  pure  olive-brown 
tint — fairly  swept  into  the  apartment. 

"  Alice ! "  cried  Sylvia,  as  she  kissed  her  and  then 
passed  her  on  to  Rose  for  a  like  ceremony.  "  How 
ever  did  you  get  here  ?  " 

"  Why,  yo'all  seem  surprised,"  was  the  retort  in 
that  slow,  unctuous,  Southern  voice.  "  I  hope  I  didn't 
arrive  too  early,"  and  Alice  Harrow  flung,  rather 
than  "  draped  "  herself,  as  Sylvia  would  have  done, 
into  a  chair. 

"  Early !    It's  early  for  you,"  commented  Rose. 

"  I  did  get  here  sooner  than  I  expected,"  Alice 
went  on.  "  But  I  made  up  my  mind,  if  we  were  to 


6  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

carry  out  the  rules  of  our  club,  that  being  ahead  of 
time  was  better  than  being  late." 

"Good  for  you!"  cried  Sylvia.  "Tea?"  she 
asked,  indicating  the  little  table. 

"  Land,  no !  It's  too  hot !  Lemonade  if  you  have 
it,  with  a  bit  of  mint  crushed  in  it — not  too  much 
crushed,  and  a  slice  of  real  lemon  floating  on  top. 
Then  just  a  suggestion  of  nutmeg.  But  if  you 
haven't  it,  ice  water  will  do  as  well,"  and  she  sud 
denly  switched  off,  as  she  saw  Rose  gazing  at  her 
with  rather  open-mouthed  wonder. 

"  No,  indeed.  Janet  shall  make  it  at  once ! "  ex 
claimed  Sylvia. 

"Well,  are  you  surprised  to  see  me?"  demanded 
Alice,  a  moment  later,  when  the  maid  had  left  the 
room. 

"  Surprised  isn't  the  word  for  it ! "  Sylvia  said. 
"  We  were  just  talking  about  you : 

"  I  wondered  why  my  ears  burned ! "  laughingly 
broke  in  Alice,  who  seemed  unusually  bright  and 
crisp  for  a  native  of  the  Southern  clime. 

"  We  were  just  saying  that  we  feared  you  would 
be  the  last  to  arrive,"  went  on  Sylvia,  with  a  smile. 
"  As  it  is  you  have  reached  here  before  Baby ! " 

"  No !    You  don't  mean  it !  " 

"  But  I  do,  my  dear !  " 

"  To  think  of  besting  Hazel  Reed !  Oh,  that's  just 
splendid.  I " 

Alice  arose  and  was  about  to  execute  a  few  steps 
of  a  new  dance,  but,  at  that  moment,  the  maid  came 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  7 

with  the  elaborately  ordered  glass  of  lemonade  on  a 
little  silver  tray,  and  it  was  only  by  the  most  skilful 
turn,  as  though  extricating  herself  and  her  partner 
from  a  crowded  corner  of  the  ballroom  floor,  that 
Alice  saved  herself  from  an  accident. 

"  Oh,  that's  delicious ! "  she  murmured,  as  she 
sipped  the  spiced,  icy  drink.  "  Your  butler  must  be 
a  Southerner,  Sylvia." 

"  We  never  knew  it.  But  I'm  glad  you  like  it.  Yes, 
you  are  here  before  Hazel,  though  she  may  arrive 
any  minute." 

"  And  when  she  comes,"  said  Rose,  "  the  Nowadays 
Club  will  have  a  full  membership  present.  Then,  I 
suppose,  Sylvia  will  condescend  to  give  a  more  de 
tailed  explanation  of  the  mysterious  telegrams  she 
sent  us.  All  I  know  is  that  we're  going  to  spend  the 
summer  in  the  Adirondacks." 

"  Isn't  that  enough  to  know?  "  asked  Alice.  "  Why 
seek  to  force  the  hands  of  Fate?  "  and  she  reclined 
lazily  in  her  chair,  and  languidly  closed  her  eyes. 

She  opened  them  a  moment  later,  however,  and  a 
bright,  vivacious  look  came  over  her  dark  face.  She 
clapped  her  hands  and  cried  out : 

"  Oh,  girls,  I  must  tell  you !  It's  the  greatest  sur 
prise.  You  know  -.  Minnie  Reynolds,  that  demure, 
mouse-like  girl  that  was  in  our  class?  " 

"  You  mean,  Cheese?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Yes,  that's  what  we  called  her — she  reminded 
one  so  of  a  mouse,  and  cheese  always  has  that  asso 
ciation  for  me.  Well,  Minnie  has  '  done  gone  an'  got 


8  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

he'se'f  engaged,'  as  my  old  coloured  mammy  would 
say." 

"  Who's  the  fellow  ?  "  asked  Sylvia.  "  Any  one  we 
know?" 

Alice  took  a  long  breath,  preparatory  to  answer 
ing,  but  just  then  the  bell  rang  again. 

"  Oh,  if  that  sJiould  be  Baby ! "  murmured  Sylvia. 

"  It  is  Baby !  "  called  out  a  breezy  voice  in  answer, 
for  the  pretty  hostess  had  spoken  even  as  the  maid 
opened  the  door.  "  It  is  Baby !  Who  all's  in  there?  " 
she  went  on,  eagerly,  joyously. 

"  Hazel  Reed  !  "  murmured  Alice.  "  She'll  be  furi 
ous  when  she  finds  I'm  here  ahead  of  her.  She  can't 
call  me  the  late  Miss  Harrow  now." 

"  Oh,  you're  all  here ! "  gasped  the  newcomer,  as 
she  swept  into  the  room — literally  swept  in,  for  her 
dress  caught  in  a  light  chair  that  she  dragged  after 
her. 

"  Hello,  girls !  "  she  went  on.  "  Oh,  Sylvia !  Such 
r.  trip.  Two  accidents;  the  taxicab  driver  nearly 
ran  over  an  old  man,  I  lost  my  purse — found  it  again 
though,  thank  goodness.  Mislaid  your  address  and 
I've  been  telephoning  all  over  for  two  mortal  hours. 
But  here  I  am.  Kiss  me,  everybody!  Oh,  but  it's 
good  to  see  you  all  again." 

There  was  a  little  cyclone  of  laughter,  and  then 
Sylvia,  tinkling  a  spoon  against  a  cup  to  attract  at 
tention,  called  out : 

"  Girls,  the  Nowadays  Club  will  come  to  order ! " 


v 

CHAPTER   II 
A  TELEGRAM 

HUSHED  voices — voices  that  had  been  exchanging 
greetings  and  telling  experiences — followed  the  dra 
matic  announcement  of  Sylvia  Pursell.  She  gazed 
at  her  trio  of  chums,  who  had  seated  themselves 
about  the  room,  in  various  positions  of  comfort. 

"  Pardon  me,  Madam  President."  Alice  was  on 
her  feet.  "  But  is  this  a  regular  meeting,  or  a  special 
session?  I  rise  to  a  point  of  order." 

"  I  rule  that  your  point  of  order  is  not  well  taken, 
and  for  your  information  I  will  say  that  it  is  a  ses 
sion  most  extraordinary,  for  we  have  to  talk  over 
our  plans  for  going  to  the  mountains.  That  is  if 
you  girls  are  going?  "  and  she  looked  around  at  them, 
pausing  at  each  face  in  turn. 

"  Going !  "  echoed  Hazel,  otherwise  known  as  Baby, 
on  account  of  her  rather  diminutive  size.  But  she 
was  a  lovely  dancer. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  any  one  try  to  keep  me  at 
home,"  Hazel  went  on,  with  that  breezy  Chicago 
manner  of  hers  that  always  made  the  boys  look  at 
her  a  second  time,  first  with  surprise,  and  secondly 
with  admiration.  And  then  they  kept  on  looking,  as 
often  as  they  dared. 

9 


10          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Indeed  we  are  going,"  declared  Alice.  "  I  have 
heard  so  much  about  those  wild  and  rugged  moun 
tains,  and  their  grand  scenery  and " 

"  The  lakes — don't  forget  the  lakes !  "  interrupted 
Rose.  "  I  am  just  dying  for  a  chance  in  a  canoe 
with " 

"  *  A  book  of  verses  underneath  a  bough,'  "  quoted 
Sylvia. 

"  She  wants  what  goes  with  the  book — a  young 
man,"  declared  Hazel. 

"  I  do  not!  "  stormed  Rose,  blushing  so  that  her 
cheeks,  which  usually  held  a  most  charming  centre- 
tint,  were  now  suffused  with  carmine. 

"  Oh,  of  course  she  doesn't,"  soothed  Alice.  "  We 
forgot  about  Roy,  and " 


"  Alice  Harrow,  if  you- 


"  Don't  mind  them,"  advised  Sylvia,  but  at  the 
mention  of  the  name  Roy  a  shadow  seemed  to  pass 
over  her  face.  "  Let's  get  on  with  the  meeting.  The 
Nowadays  Club  will  kindly  come  to  extraordinary 
order  and  we'll  talk  about  this  Adirondack  trip.  I'm 
so  glad  you  can  all  go.  Now,  first  of  all  I  want  to 
speak  of " 

"  Dresses !  What  about  them  ?  "  broke  in  Hazel. 
"  I  simply  must  have  some  new  ones." 

"  New  York  is  the  best  place  in  the  world  to  get 
them,  and  in  a  hurry,  too,"  said  Rose.  "  I  was  going 
to  have  my  dressmaker  in  Syracuse  turn  me  out  some, 
but  I  decided  to  wait.  We  have  a  week  or  so ;  haven't 
we,  Sylvia?  " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  11 

"  About  that,  my  dear.  And  I'm  counting  on 
showing  you  everything  worth  seeing  in  Manhattan 
in  that  time.  You  can  order  your  gowns — the  very 
newest  of  the  new — — " 

"  Which  just  perfectly  describes  our  club,"  mur 
mured  Hazel. 

And  since,  perhaps,  a  little  description  of  the  club 
will  aid  my  readers  in  understanding  the  object  of 
the  four  girls,  I  can  find  no  better  opportunity  than 
now  of  making  them  acquainted  with  it. 

Sylvia  Pursell,  whose  home  was  in  New  York  City ; 
Rose  Bancroft,  of  Syracuse;  Alice  Harrow,  who 
came  from  an  old  Southern  family,  whose  estate  was 
in  the  vicinity  of  Baltimore,  and  Hazel  Reed,  of 
breezy  Chicago,  had  been  chums,  roommates,  class 
mates  and  various  other  sort  of  mates  at  the  fashion 
able  boarding  school  of  Miss  Stevenson.  They  had 
"  finished  "  there,  which  means  they  had  just  begun, 
and  during  their  final  year  they  had  formed  the 
"  Nowadays  Club." 

It  was  unlike  any  other  organisation,  as  far  as  the 
girls  knew.  There  were  no  dues,  no  initiation  fees, 
no  set  or  formal  meetings,  and  no  officers.  Every  one 
was  a  president,  and  whoever  cared  to  do  so  presided. 
Usually  it  was  Sylvia,  but  that  was  as  circumstances 
dictated. 

The  object  of  the  club  was  expressed  in  the  name. 
The  girls  were  "  up-to-the-minute "  damsels,  and 
they  were  devotees  of  the  nowadays  idea.  That  is, 
they  went  in  for  all  that  was  best  of  such  of  the 


12          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

newest  matters  as  came  to  their  attention.  As  Sylvia 
said: 

"  We  don't  want  to  get  into  a  rut !  " 

And  most  assuredly  they  were  not  in  any  danger 
of  doing  so.  They  at  least  investigated  everything 
new,  from  the  latest  dance  to  the  newest  motor  cars. 
For  the  girls  were  all  of  well-to-do,  not  to  say 
wealthy,  families. 

They  had  formed  the  little  club — membership 
strictly  restricted  to  four — on  the  spur  of  the  mo 
ment,  and  it  had  interested  them  more  than  they  had 
expected  it  would.  During  the  dance  craze  they  in 
vented  new  steps,  some  of  which  were  adopted  by 
the  dancing  class  which  they  attended.  If  the  girls 
had  been  in  any  other  position  in  life  than  school — 
if,  for  instance,  they  had  been  young  business  men — 
they  would  have  succeeded  admirably  in  at  least  inves 
tigating  all  the  newest  fads  and  fancies,  from 
efficiency  and  system,  to  conservation  and  "  turning 
around  on  a  smaller  margin,"  as  the  trade  papers 
call  it. 

But,  as  it  was,  the  girls  resolved  that  they  would 
be  real  "  nowadays  M  girls.  Of  them  it  must  not  be 
said,  "  Oh,  that's  the  way  they  used  to  do  it."  Rather 
the  tribute  must  be  paid  them  that :  "  Well,  that's 
the  way  it's  being  done  nowadays,  but  I  suppose  in 
a  week  or  so  something  new  will  crop  up,  and >f 

Well,  when  it  did  Sylvia,  Rose,  Hazel  and  Alice 
would  not  only  be  ready  for  it,  but  waiting  impa 
tiently. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  13 

And  so,  during  their  last  year  in  the  boarding 
school,  they  had  formed  the  little  club.  It  looked  for 
a  time,  when  they  had  definitely  decided  on  different 
colleges,  that  the  organisation  would  die  a  natural 
death.  But  it  only  goes  to  show  that  real,  vital 
things  never  die.  They  may  change  their  form,  but 
they  never  wholly  expire.  They  still  exist. 

So  it  was  with  the  Nowadays  Girls. 

Sylvia  was  to  go  to  Wellesley,  Rose  to  Smith, 
Alice  to  Bryn  Mawr,  and  Hazel  to  Vassar.  That 
much  had  been  decided  on,  the  parents  having  some 
thing  to  say  in  each  case. 

At  first,  when  the  girls  found  they  were  to  be  sep 
arated,  there  were  tears,  sighs  and  protestations.  It 
seemed  that  they  were  to  go  on  long  journeys  to  far 
countries.  Then  vivacious  Sylvia  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  Look  here,  girls ! "  she  declaimed  at  a  session  of 
the  club  held  in  her  room  one  night,  "  this  college 
life  is  only  for  four  years,  and  there  are  vacations. 
Besides,  the  long-distance  telephone  is  available.  We 
may  be  separated  in  body  but  we  must  not  be  in  spirit. 
We  must  still  be  up-to-date — to  the  minute  and  a  few 
seconds  past  it.  We  won't  give  up  our  club.  It  shall 
be  all  the  stronger. 

"  And  we  must  here  and  now  resolve " 

"  Hear !  Hear !  "  half -grunted  Hazel,  in  imitation 
of  an  Englishman,  "  highly  excited,"  at  a  banquet. 
"Hear!  Hear!" 

"  We  must  now  resolve " 

"  Not  to  cast  our  ballots !  "  broke  in  Alice. 


14          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  This  isn't  a  suffragist  meeting,"  was  Rose's  re 
buke. 

"  We  must  resolve,"  continued  Sylvia,  whom  little 
could  distract,  "  we  must  resolve  not  to  give  up  the 
spirit  we  have  evolved  for  ourselves.  We  will  meet 
and  get  together  whenever  we  can,  after  leaving  here. 
We'll  have  sessions  in  summer,  of  course,  and  spend 
all  our  vacations  together,  if  possible.  The  Christmas 
Holidays  we  may  except,  but  the  long  vacation  will 
give  the  Nowadays  Club  even  a  better  chance  than 
we  have  had  here.  Now  what  do  you  say?  Shall  we 
make  it  a  promise?  " 

She  paused  to  look  at  her  chums.  The  idea 
seemed  to  fill  them  with  enthusiasm. 

"  I'm  for  it ! "  declared  Alice. 

"  It's  perfectly  fine !  "  exclaimed  Hazel. 

"  I'm  just  in  love  with  the  idea,"  Rose  said.  "  I 
almost  cried  when  I  found  we  were  to  go  to  different 
colleges." 

"  But  it  will  be  all  the  better  for  us,"  declared 
Sylvia.  "  For  we  can  absorb  all  that  is  best  at  each 
institution,  bring  it  away  with  us,  and  pass  it  on 
to  one  another.  In  that  way  we  will  each 
broaden " 

"  I  don't  want  to  do  any  broadening,"  broke  in 
Alice.  "  I'm  getting  too  stout  as  it  is.  I'll  have  to 
pick  up  a  new  step  in  the  hesitation  waltz,  to  make 
it  more  difficult." 

"  I  meant  broaden  our  minds,"  Sylvia  said,  point 
edly. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  15 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  assented  Alice.     "  Go  on." 

"  That's  all  there  is  to  it,"  Sylvia  said.  "  We'll 
just  resolve  to  meet  as  often  as  we  can,  and 
be  real  nowadays  girls.  Separating  now  is  only  a 
preparation  for  a  newer  form  of  life  and  healthy 
activity." 

And  so  it  had  been  decided.  The  pleasant  days 
at  Miss  Stevenson's  school  came  to  an  end  in  the 
glories  of  commencement,  with  "  sweet  girl  grad 
uates  "  galore.  This  was  in  late  May,  for  as  there 
were  repairs  to  be  made  on  the  buildings  the  term 
was  somewhat  shortened. 

The  Nowadays  Girls  had  separated,  with  no  definite 
plans  for  the  summer  until  Sylvia  evolved  those 
which,  as  our  story  opens,  brought  the  four  chums 
together  once  more — Rose  from  Syracuse,  Alice  from 
Baltimore,  and  Hazel  from  Chicago,  she  being  the 
last  to  arrive,  much  to  her  chagrin,  for  she  upheld 
the  liveliness  of  her  own  town  as  against  Gotham. 

In  brief  the  plan  was  this.  Sylvia  had  proposed 
a  tour  of  the  Adirondacks  for  that  summer,  and 
there  was  an  indefinite  understanding  that  at  each 
succeeding  vacation  other  famous  American  resorts 
would  be  visited.  But  the  Adirondacks  was  to  be  the 
beginning.  The  girls  were  to  go  to  Fulton  Chain, 
in  the  lower  Adirondacks,  and  progress  as  they 
pleased,  and  when  they  pleased,  stopping  where 
fancy  dictated,  until  they  reached  Saranac. 

The  four  were  to  be  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Theo 
dora  Leigh  Brownley,  a  widow,  whose  husband  had 


16  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

been  a  noted  Confederate  soldier.  A  small  property 
brought  her  in  such  a  meagre  income  that  she  was 
forced  to  adopt  her  young-womanhood  occupation  of 
teaching  school,  and  she  was  one  of  the  best-beloved 
instructresses  at  Miss  Stevenson's  establishment. 
Mrs.  Brownley  was  called  "  Aunt  "  not  only  by  cour 
tesy,  but  through  love,  for  she  was  a  charming  char 
acter,  and  the  girls  were  very  fond  of  her,  especially 
our  four.  So  much  did  they  love  her  that  when  Sylvia 
had  proposed  the  Adirondack  tour,  and  a  chaperon 
had  been  decreed  by  Mrs.  Pursell  as  absolutely  neces 
sary,  Aunt  Theodora  had  been  selected. 

Mrs.  Brownley  had  served  as  such  before.  In  fact 
she  made  it  a  sort  of  business  to  escort  parties  of 
young  ladies  from  the  school  on  summer  outings.  She 
had  made  several  trips  to  Europe  as  such  a  conductor, 
and  while  rather  grave  and  dignified,  she  could  very 
easily  adapt  herself  to  circumstances.  Then,  too, 
she  was  very  glad  of  the  added  income  which  this 
chaperoning  provided.  So  every  one  was  satisfied. 

The  trip  had  practically  been  decided  on  before 
Sylvia's  friends  had  reached  New  York,  but  after  she 
had  summoned  them  by  telegraph,  she  wanted  to  make 
sure  that  none  of  them  had  changed  her  plans. 

"  And  I'm  glad  none  of  you  have,"  she  said,  as 
the  maid  came  in  to  clear  away  the  tea  service,  Hazel 
having  been  refreshed  with  a  specially-brewed  cup. 
"  I  think  we  shall  have  a  lovely  summer." 

"  I'm  positive  of  it ! "  declared  Rose,  with  convic 
tion.  Again  she  looked  around,  half  expectantly,  as 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  17 

a  masculine  step  was  heard  in  the  hall.  It  was  only 
the  butler,  however. 

"  Miss  Pursell,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes,  James." 

"  A  telegram." 

Sylvia  caught  her  breath  rather  sharply. 

"  Did  any  of  you  girls  wire  ?  Could  it  have  been 
delayed  and  reached  here  after  you?  "  she  asked,  as 
she  paused,  hand  outstretched,  to  take  the  telegram 
from  the  silver  server. 

"  I  didn't,"  declared  Rose,  and  the  others  shook 
their  heads  in  negation. 

With  fingers  that  trembled  Sylvia  tore  open  the 
yellow  envelope.  Her  eyes  rapidly  scanned  the  few 
typewritten  words  on  the  sheet,  and  once  more  her 
breath  came  in  a  gasp. 

"  No  bad  news,  I  hope,"  said  Hazel,  as  she  glided 
across  the  room  and  put  her  arms  about  her  chum. 

"It— it  isn't— good!"  faltered  Sylvia.  "It's 
Roy — my  brother — he — he's  worse !  " 

A  startled  cry  came  from  Rose,  who  turned  pale, 
so  that  only  a  small  tinted  spot  glowed  in  either 
cheek. 

"  Roy — ill ! "  she  whispered. 


CHAPTER   III 

PREPARATIONS 

SOMETHING  like  a  portentous  influence  seemed  to 
have  fallen  suddenly  over  the  little  party  of  girls  that 
had  been  making  so  merry  but  a  moment  before. 
Sylvia  read  the  telegram  again. 

"  Any  answer,  Miss  Pursell?  "  asked  the  butler. 
"  I  told  the  boy  to  wait." 

"  No,  James.  At  least  not  now.  I  must  talk  with 
mother.  This  came  to  me — I  wonder  why  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  your  brother  did  not  want  to  alarm 
your  mother,"  suggested  Alice. 

"  I  suppose  so — but 

"  I  didn't  know  Roy  was  ill,"  said  Rose,  and  there 
was  that  in  her  tone  which  showed  that  she  had  a 
good  right  to  know — a  right  that  Sylvia  seemed  to 
acknowledge,  for  she  answered: 

"  We  didn't  write  and  tell  you,  dear,  for  we  kept 
hoping  that  it  would  pass,  and  that  he  would  be  all 
right.  But  it  hasn't,  and — oh,  dear !  "  For  a  mo 
ment  Sylvia  seemed  about  to  give  way,  and  Hazel 
tightened  her  clasp  about  her  chum. 

"  I — I'll  be  all  right  in — in  a  moment,"  said  Sylvia. 
"  It  was  just — just  the  disappointment.  I  did  hope 
he  was  going  to  get  along  at  the  sanitarium." 

18 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  19 

"  Sanitarium !  "  fairly  gasped  Rose.  "  Is  he — has 
he " 

"  It  isn't  any  real  disease,"  Sylvia  made  haste  to 
say. 

"  Why,  he  didn't  even  hint  anything  to  me  the  last 
time  he  wrote,"  said  Rose,  the  colour  gradually  com 
ing  back  to  her  cheeks.  That  she  and  Sylvia's  big 
brother,  Roy,  corresponded  was  no  secret,  since  it  was 
generally  accepted  that  they  would  become  engaged 
some  day.  Just  now  the  little  affair  was  in  that 
most  delightful  of  all  states,  one  of  perfect  under 
standing. 

"  No,  I  fancy  he  didn't  want  you  to  know,  my 
dear,"  replied  Sylvia,  gently.  "  It  was,  at  first,  just 
a  breakdown  from  overwork.  You  know,"  she  went 
on  to  the  other  girls,  "  after  Roy  graduated  from 
Yale  he  was  given  a  fine  position  with  the  Hosmore 
Chemical  Company,  here  in  New  York. 

"  Roy  was  just  in  love  with  his  work,  and  so  en 
thusiastic.  I  fear  his  very  enthusiasm  told  against 
him,  for  he  had  worked  hard  at  college,  and  really 
overtrained  on  the  football  eleven.  But  he  was  get 
ting  along  splendidly,  until  the  breakdown  came." 

"  A  breakdown,"  murmured  Rose.  "  He  only 
wrote  me  that  he  was  tired,  and  wanted  a  rest,  but 
that  he  would  not  take  it  until  he  had  completed  his 
discovery." 

"  That's  what  did  it — the  discovery,"  sighed  Rose. 
"  Roy  had  some  ideas  about  a  new  chemical  combina 
tion  that  was  destined  to  work  wonders.  It  had 


20  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

something  to  do  with  colouring  fabrics,  I  believe. 
He  told  me  the  details,  but  I  have  forgotten."" 

"  It  was  for  dyeing  silk,"  explained  Rose.  "  You 
know  since  the  European  war  chemicals  and  dye- 
stuffs  from  Germany,  the  centre  of  the  trade,  have 
been  dreadfully  hard  to  get  over  here.  So  Roy  dis 
covered  a  new  way  of  utilising  some  of  the  coal-tar 
products,  and  he  hoped  to  make  a  big  thing  of  it." 

"  You  know  more  than  I  do,"  said  Sylvia,  but 
there  was  not  the  least  hint  of  sisterly  jealousy  in 
her  voice.  "  I  believe  it  was  that,  though,  which  Roy 
was  working  on.  Well,  he  made  his  discovery " 

"  How  nice !  "  murmured  Alice. 

"  No !  It  wasn't  at  all  nice !  "  and  Sylvia's  voice 
took  on  rather  a  fierce  and  indignant  tone.  "  For 
poor  Roy  worked  so  hard  over  it  that  he  suffered  a 
mental  breakdown.  It  was  complete,  added  to  a  sort 
of  physical  going  to  pieces,  and  he  couldn't  remember 
the  proper  chemical  combination — the  one  he  worked 
so  hard  over.  It  went  from  his  mind  completely  and 
was  as  lost  to  him  as  though  he  had  never  worked 
it  out  during  long  nights  of  study.  He  tried  and 
tried  to  recall  it,  and  I  suppose  that  did  him  no 
good,  mentally  or  physically.  Then  he  gave  up,  and 
broke  down  completely.  It  was  terrible,  but  we 
hoped  for  the  best.  Then  he  went  away " 

"  Went  away  ?  "  echoed  Rose. 

"  Well,  rather,  he  was  sent.  His  firm  was  very 
nice  to  him,  granted  him  a  leave  of  absence  and  all 
that,  and  even  sent  one  of  their  young  men  from 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  21 

the  office  away  with  Roy.  Mother  wanted  to  go  her 
self,  but  the  doctor  said  she  had  better  not." 

"  She  must  have  felt  that  terribly,"  commented 
Hazel.  "  She  was  so  chummy  with  Roy,  and  he  with 
her." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Sylvia.  "  It  was  terrible.  But 
mamma  saw  that  it  was  for  the  best.  Papa  simply 
could  not  leave.  His  business  is  so  complicated  since 
the  war,  that  he  fairly  lives  at  the  office.  So  Roy 
went  off  with  Harry  Montray,  and  he  was  more  than 
kind  to  my  brother  and  all  of  us." 

"  Harry  Montray  ?  "  murmured  Alice,  question- 


"  I  don't  believe  you  know  him,"  Sylvia  said. 
"  He  was  a  Stevens  boy,  and  he  and  Roy  were  real 
chums.  I  grew  to  like  Harry  very  much  in  the  short 
time  I  knew  him.  He  went  away  with  my  brother." 

"But  where?"  asked  Rose.  "You  haven't  told 
me  where  yet  ?  " 

You  notice  she  did  not  say  "  us."  But  the  reason 
is  not  far  to  seek. 

"  Oh,  I  thought  I  mentioned  it,"  said  Sylvia. 
"  Pardon  me.  Roy  is  at  Loneberg  Camp,  Saranac 
Lake." 

"Saranac  Lake!"  cried  Rose.  "Why,  that's 
where  we  -  " 

"  Yes,  that's  where  we  are  going,"  Sylvia  took  up 
the  remark.  "  That  was  one  reason  that  made  me 
keep  to  my  original  resolution  to  make  the  Adiron- 
dacks  our  first  outing  objective.  For  a  time,  after 


22          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

we  tentatively  selected  that,  I  was  inclined  to  change 
to  Bar  Harbor,  or  Martha's  Vineyard,  but  when  I 
learned  Roy  had  to  go  to  the  mountains  for  a  com 
plete  rest  and  cure,  I  was  glad  I  had  not  made  other 
plans.  We  can  see  him  there,  and  we  may  do  him 
good." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  that,  collectively,  we  shall  help 
him  to  improve,  as  I  am  that,  individually,  we  may," 
murmured  Alice. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Sylvia,  her  eyes 
opening  wide. 

"  Say,  rather,  whom  do  I  mean,"  retorted  Alice, 
nodding  at  Rose,  who  was  reading  the  telegram 
Sylvia  had  handed  her. 

"  Why,"  said  Rose,  not  hearing,  or  perhaps  not 
heeding,  the  remark  made  about  herself,  "  this  mes 
sage  is  from  that  Harry  Montray." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Sylvia.  "  He  is  looking  after 
Roy.  He  promised  to  wire  every  day  as  to  how  my 
brother  was.  Up  to  now  Roy  has  been  very  well, 
considering.  He  showed  little  improvement,  to  be 
sure,  and  worrying  over  the  forgotten  chemical  for 
mula  was  not  beneficial.  But  this  is  the  first  time  we 
have  had  really  unpleasant  news  concerning  him.  I 
suppose  that  is  why  Harry  sent  the  wire  to  me.  I 
think  I  must  tell  mother : 

"  Don't !  "  interrupted  Alice.  "  At  least  not  yet 
awhile,"  she  went  on.  "  Your  mother  will  have  enough 
to  worry  about,  with  a  house  full  of  company,  and 
this  will  only  add  to  it.  As  long  as  it  isn't  danger- 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  23 

ous,  and  as  long  as  nothing  can  be  done  right  away, 
wait  until  to-morrow  to  tell  her,  Sylvia." 

"  I  wonder  if  I  ought  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,"  agreed  Rose.  "  We  may  have  better 
news  to-morrow.  If  we  don't,  well,  there  will  be 
time  enough  to  get  up  there  in  a  hurry,  even  if  it  is 
necessary." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  assented  Sylvia.  "  Yes,  I'll  not 
say  anything  to  her  about  it.  I  must  bring  her  in 
to  meet  you.  She  is  anxious  to  know  you  all,  for 
she  has  heard  so  much  about  you,  and  she  has  only 
seen  your  pictures.  I'll  just  keep  the  unpleasant 
news  from  her.  I'll  see  if  she  is  in  her  room,"  and 
Sylvia  lost  no  time  in  stepping  to  the  private 
telephone  with  which  the  large  apartment  was 
equipped. 

"  Will  this  make  any  change  in  our  plans  ?  "  asked 
Hazel.  "  If  it  does— " 

"  Not  in  the  least,  my  dear,"  answered  Sylvia,  as 
she  was  making  the  necessary  connection,  a  central 
being  dispensed  with.  "  We  may  go  a  bit  earlier,  that 
is  all." 

"  Couldn't  we  go  direct  to  Saranac  Lake  ?  "  asked 
Rose. 

"  We  can,  if  we  find  it  necessary,"  answered  her 
hostess.  "  But  it  will  rather  spoil  our  plans,  and 
can  do  no  good,  I  fear.  The  doctor  said  it  would 
take  time  for  Roy  to  get  strong  enough  physically 
so  that  his  mental  powers  would  return.  But  if  we 
get  any  more  disquieting  news  we  will  go  direct  to 


24  THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

Saranac,  and  not  make  tours  and  trips  along  the 
route,  as  I  planned.  Hello ! "  she  interrupted,  to 
speak  into  the  telephone. 

Mrs.  Pursell  was  in  her  room,  and  said  she  would 
be  in  directly  to  meet  her  daughter's  girl  chums. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  tell  your  butler  not  to  men 
tion  the  telegram?  "  suggested  Rose. 

"  Perhaps  I  had,"  agreed  Sylvia,  slipping  out,  but 
returning  in  time  to  present  the  three  girls  to  her 
mother.  Mrs.  Pursell  greeted  them  warmly. 

"  You  are  all  just  as  I  pictured  you,"  she  said. 
"  Of  course  I  have  seen  your  photographs.  But  I 
think  I  expected  Hazel  to  be  just  a  trifle  smaller.  I 
think  she  isn't  such  a  baby ! " 

"  Well,  that's  what  they  all  call  me,"  sighed  Hazel 
of  the  brown  eyes.  "  I  wear  high-heeled  shoes,  and 
everything  to  make  me  look  larger,  but  I'm  in  despair 
of  growing  taller." 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear,"  Sylvia  consoled  her, 
"  you  are  perfectly  all  right  and  charming  as  you 
are.  Mother,  you  will  go  with  us  to-night;  will  you 
not?" 

"Where,  daughter;  to  another  dance?  I  think 
not." 

"  No,  the  theatre.  I  planned  to  have  the  girls  see 
that  new  Shaw  play." 

"  Oh,  I  adore  Bernard  Shaw ! "  exclaimed  Alice. 
"  He  is  so  sarcastic  when  you  least  expect  it.  He 
wakes  you  up — like  a  dash  of  cold  water  in  your 
face." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  25 

"  And  about  as  unpleasantly,  at  times,"  commented 
Rose.  "  I  like  a  different  sort  of  alarm  clock." 

"  We  can  pick  some  other  play,"  Sylvia  said. 

"  Oh,  no  indeed !  I  like  Shaw.  It  gives  you  some 
thing  to  think  about  afterward,  and  that's  what  we 
need  nowadays." 

"  Quite  an  idea,  calling  your  club  that,"  com 
mented  Mrs.  Pursell.  "  But  don't  count  on  me  for 
the  theatre,  daughter  mine.  Go  and  enjoy  your 
selves.  Father  will  be  home  to  dinner,  so  he  tele 
phoned." 

"  That's  so  nice  of  him.  It's  quite  a  concession 
on  father's  part  to  dine  with  us  these  days,"  Sylvia 
went  on.  "  So  you  girls  must  sufficiently  express 
yourselves  as  honoured.  He'll  probably  lose  I  don't 
know  how  many  thousand  dollars  by  being  away  from 
the  office  for  even  a  little  while — at  least  he'll  say  so, 
anyhow,"  and  she  laughed. 

The  girls  went  to  the  play,  and  had  supper  at 
Sherry's  afterward,  Mr.  Pursell  allowing  himself  to 
be  made  a  member  of  the  merry  little  party,  that 
attracted  more  than  passing  glances,  for  each  of  the 
four  girls  was  distractingly  pretty. 

"  And  now  to  pack  and  pack  and  then  pack  some 
more,"  said  Sylvia,  gaily,  the  next  day.  "  Oh,  I 
forgot,  you  girls  want  to  see  about  gowns.  But  you 
won't  need  such  elaborate  ones.  A  couple  for  dances 
at  the  hotels,  and  the  rest — well,  we're  going  to  rough 
it,  rather  than  otherwise.  Now  then — — " 

The  butler  knocked  and  entered. 


26          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Excuse  me,  Miss  Pursell,"  he  said,  "  but  you  are 
wanted  at  the  telephone.  It's  long-distance." 

"  Long-distance,"  faltered  Sylvia.  At  once  the 
same  thought  came  to  all  the  girls — Roy — up  in  the 
Adirondack  woods. 


CHAPTER   IV 
"WATCH  YOUR  STEP  !" 

ROSE  caught  her  breath  sharply,  as  Sylvia  swept, 
with  a  slithering  of  her  silken  skirts,  to  the  extension 
telephone  in  the  reception  hall.  And  even  as  she 
prepared  to  listen  and  speak  over  the  wire,  the  girl 
had  a  cautioning  thought. 

"You  didn't  tell  mother;  did  you,  James?"  she 
asked,  in  a  whisper. 

"  No,  Miss  Pursell.    The  message  was  for  you." 

"I  know.      That's    right.      Still   I   thought 

Hello ! "  she  interrupted  herself  to  speak  into  the 
transmitter.  "  Yes,  this  is  Miss  Pursell.  Oh,  it's  you, 
Mr.  Montray.  Oh,  yes,  I " 

The  door  swung  shut,  closing  Sylvia  away  from 
her  chums,  and  they  only  heard  the  murmur  of  her 
voice  as  she  talked.  Rose  arose  and  paced  nervously 
to  and  from  a  certain  window.  She  wondered  if  the 
message  concerned  her. 

Presently  Sylvia  rejoined  her  friends.  There  was 
a  glow  on  her  face,  a  happy  glint  in  her  eyes,  and 
something  in  her  whole  bearing  that  told  them  it  was 
good  news,  and  not  bad,  even  before  she  spoke.  Gaily 
she  cried: 

"  Roy  is  much  better ! " 
27 


28  THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad ! "  breathed  Rose,  and  her  com 
plexion  vied  with  her  name. 

"  Were  you  talking  to  him  ?  "  asked  Alice,  as  she 
turned  an  emerald  ring  on  her  finger — an  emerald 
that  caused  much  wonder  among  strangers  as  to 
where  she  had  obtained  it,  for  it  was  a  most  beautiful 
stone.  But,  perhaps  unromantically  enough,  a  ma 
ternal  aunt  had  bequeathed  it  to  Alice. 

"  No,  I  wasn't  talking  to  Roy,  but  to  his  friend, 
Harry  Montray,"  replied  Sylvia.  "  He  said  he  knew 
we  would  be  anxious  after  the  telegram  of  yesterday, 
so,  as  he  happened  to  be  near  a  long-distance  tele 
phone,  he  called  up,  instead  of  telegraphing.  He 
wanted  to  explain  certain  things." 

"  About  Roy?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"Of  course,  Baby!  What  else?"  Sylvia's  eyes 
opened  wide. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  know,"  and  she  tried  to  seem  indif 
ferent. 

"  But  tell  us  the  news !  "  begged  Rose. 

"  That's  so.  Don't  keep  her  in  suspense,"  sug 
gested  Alice,  as  she  held  the  cool  emerald  against 
her  cheek,  as  Nero  is  said  to  have  held  one  against 
his  eye,  perhaps  better  to  see,  or,  perhaps,  to  make 
him  more  dissatisfied  with  life  by  imparting  a  green 
tint  to  the  complexions  of  his  flatterers. 

"  Yes,  Roy  is  much  better,"  went  on  his  sister. 
"  That  little  depression  of  the  day  before  seemed  to 
be  but  a  passing  nervous  spell." 

"  But  is  he  better— all  well?  "  asked  Hazel. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  29 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed,  and  he  won't  be  for  some  time. 
But  he  is  in  no  immediate  danger.  Had  he  been, 
either  mamma  or  papa  would  have  gone  up  at  once. 
What  he  needs  is  complete  rest  and  change,  and  he 
is  getting  both.  It  is  only  that  he  cannot  make  his 
mind  do  what  he  wants  it  to,  and  bring  back  the 
memory  of  that  forgotten  chemical  combination. 
That  is  what  is  worrying  him,  for  there  is  a  com 
paratively  large  fortune  in  it,  both  for  himself  and 
for  his  firm. 

"  It  is  too  bad  he  lost  all  memory  of  it,  but  it  may 
come  back  to  him.  Until  it  does,  though,  he  will 
worry  and  fret,  and  that  will  retard  his  recovery, 
Harry  says.  But  he  is  growing  stronger  physically, 
and  in  another  month  or  so  there  may  be  a  big 
change." 

"  That's  good,"  murmured  Alice,  with  a  sympa 
thetic  glance  at  Rose. 

"  Perhaps  when  we  go  to  see  him  that  will  at  least 
cheer  him  up,"  said  Hazel. 

"  I  am  hoping  so,"  Sylvia  agreed.  "  Poor  Roy ! 
he  isn't  having  a  very  good  time.  He  just  loves  the 
woods,  to  hunt  and  fish  and  camp,  but  I  imagine  he 
can't  do  many  of  those  things  now.  Taking  a  rest 
cure  is  so " 

"  Unrestful,"  put  in  Alice,  as  she  caught  Hazel 
by  the  shoulders  and  whirled  her  a*bout,  forcing  her 
over  toward  the  piano.  "  Come !  "  she  cried.  "  Away 
with  gloomy  thoughts,  since  Sylvia  has  had  good  news ! 
Let's  try  that  new  whirl  in  the  onestep.  Don't  you 


30          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

remember — the  step  backward,  then  forward,  a  halt 
and  a  whirl — this  way !  " 

Humming  to  herself  she  glided  gracefully  about 
the  room. 

"  Oh,  if  you  want  to  dance,"  said  Sylvia,  "  let's 
go  out  to  the  library  and  take  up  the  rugs.  We  can 
start  the  *  canned  music,'  as  Roy  calls  the  phono 
graph,  and  have  some  good  practice.  But  really, 
though  I  hate  to  begin,  I  ought  to  be  packing !  " 
and  she  sighed. 

"  And  I  ought  to  be  shopping ! "  added  Hazel. 
"  But  we've  time  enough.  I  am  easy  to  fit,  and  not 
fussy.  On  with  the  dance.  Come,  Rose,  I'll  lead 
you." 

But  Rose  rather  hung  back,  and  there  was  a  far-off 
look  in  her  eyes. 

"  Are  you  worried,  dear?  "  asked  Sylvia,  in  a  whis 
per,  as  Alice  and  Hazel  led  the  way  to  the  library 
for  dance  practice. 

"  A  little— yes." 

Sylvia  pressed  her  chum's  hand. 

"  Don't  be,"  she  said.  "  I'm  sure  he  will  be  all 
right." 

"  I  hope  so.    But " 

The  music  of  a  catchy  onestep  floated  in  to  them, 
and  soon  the  girls  were  gliding  about  the  unrugged 
floor. 

"  Do  the  aeroplane,"  suggested  Sylvia.  "  You 
know,  the  one  with  four  steps  on  one  side,  four  on 
the  other,  then  the  walk-about  and " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  31 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  just  love  that.  It's  so  restful!  "  cried 
Hazel. 

The  merry  impromptu  dance  went  on,  and  then 
Sylvia  bethought  herself  that  she  had  not  given  to 
her  mother  the  good  news  that  had  come  by  tele 
phone.  When  she  came  back,  after  having  done  this, 
the  girls  were  waltzing,  Alice  with  a  large  vase  as 
a  partner,  while  Hazel  had  taken  Rose. 

"  I  want  to  get  that  *  marcel  wave '  down  more 
smoothly,"  explained  Alice.  "  I'm  sure  they'll  be 
doing  that  at  all  the  hotels  this  summer." 

They  shopped  that  afternoon  and  the  next  and  for 
several  successive  days.  Rush  orders  were  given 
dressmakers.  The  town  car  was  in  constant  demand 
for  visits  to  shops,  and  the  apartment  looked  like 
"  a  May  morning  cyclone,"  as  Sylvia  expressed  it, 
for  there  were  gowns  and  hats  on  every  chair  and  in 
every  corner. 

"  I  thought  you  girls  were  going  to  do  this  thing 
simply,  and  rough  it  in  the  mountains,"  said  Mr. 
Pursell,  as  he  "  waded  through  "  the  filled-up  hall 
one  evening. 

"  We  are,  Daddy  mine ! "  laughingly  answered 
Sylvia. 

"  This  doesn't  look  like  it." 

"  Oh,  but  you  know  nowadays,  Daddy,  it's  awfully 
hard  to  be  simple." 

"  Like  being  good,  I  suppose,"  he  chuckled. 
"  Well,  I'm  glad  you're  going — I  mean  I'm  sorry  to 
lose  the  jolly  company  of  you  young  ladies,"  he  hast- 


32          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

ened  to  add,  "  but  I'm  glad  you're  going  up  to  see 
Roy.  He  needs  it.  I'd  go  myself  only  I  can't  possi 
bly  leave.  What  was  the  report  to-day,  Sylvia  ?  " 

"  Just  about  the  same.    He  is  fretting  a  little." 

"  Well,  perhaps  that's  a  good  sign.  They  say  when 
a  sick  person  frets  he's  getting  better.  Now,  Sylvia, 
how  about  your  trip?  Have  you  it  all  planned  out? 
When  does  Aunt  Theodora-and-all-the-rest-of-it  ar 
rive?" 

"  Don't  let  her  hear  you  say  that ! "  cautioned  his 
daughter,  raising  an  admonishing  finger.  "  She  is 
very  dignified  at  times,  but  jolly  enough  when  she 
wants  to  be.  She'll  be  with  us  to-morrow,  and  we 
will  start  two  days  after  that.  She  may  want  to  do 
a  little  shopping  in  New  York,  since  she  won't  get  to 
Paris  this  year." 

"  Have  you  the  train  schedule  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Pursell. 

"  All  complete,"  replied  Sylvia,  tapping  a  bundle 
of  time-tables  and  railroad  folders.  "  We  leave  the 
Grand  Central  Terminal  at  12:25,  and  we  can  reach 
Fulton  Chain  at  11:05  the  next  day;  that  is  if  we 
don't  stop  off  anywhere." 

"  Were  you  thinking  of  that?  "  asked  Mr.  Pursell. 

"  I  wanted  them  to  stop  off  at  Syracuse,"  put  in 
Rose. 

"  And  we  may,"  half-promised  Sylvia. 

"  Do  you  know  any  of  the  University  fellows  ?  " 
Hazel  wanted  to  know. 

"  Of  course  she  does — scores  of  them,"  declared 
Sylvia. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  33 

"  Then  we  stop  off,"  decided  Alice.  "  That  set 
tles  it !  "  and  the  others  laughed  at  her  vehemence. 

Aunt  Theodora  Leigh  Brownley  arrived,  and  was 
made  welcome  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pursell.  They  made 
the  gentle,  dignified  Southern  lady  feel  at  home  at 
once,  and  when  Mrs.  Brownley  discovered,  wholly  by 
accident,  that  there  was  living  in  the  same  apartment 
a  member  of  an  old  and  distinguished  family  of  Fair 
fax  County,  Virginia,  the  little  reserve  she  had  shown 
melted  at  once. 

"  I  can  be  quite  reconciled  to  New  York,  and  even 
to  these  semi-barbarous  apartment  houses,  if  a  Ran 
dolph  can  be  comfortable  here,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley. 
"  It  is  much  nicer  than  I  thought." 

Then  began  a  busy  time,  with  the  town  car  working 
veritably  night  and  day,  taking  the  girls  here  and 
there,  to  fill  engagements  with  dressmakers  and  mil 
liners,  to  shop,  attend  teas  and  what  not.  But 
slowly  the  pile  of  pretty  things  in  the  various  rooms 
was  reduced.  Trunks  began  to  fill,  and  finally  came 
the  day  when  the  Nowadays  Club  held  a  last  informal 
meeting  in  the  home  of  Sylvia. 

"  We  leave  to-morrow,"  was  the  announcement  of 
the  president  pro  tern.  "  Now  don't  any  of  you  forget 
anything." 

"Have  you  the  tickets,  Sylvia?"  asked  Mrs. 
Brownley. 

"  Indeed  we  have,  Aunt  Theodora." 

"  And  you  have  definitely  decided  to  stop  off  at 
Syracuse  ?  " 


34          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Yes,  Rose  wants  us  to,  and  we  may  not  get  an 
other  chance  soon  to  meet  her  people." 

"  Very  well  then,  my  dear,  I  shall  take  my  after 
noon  nap,  something  I  deprive  myself  of  when  school 
is  in  session." 

Aunt  Theodora  Leigh  Brownley  had  a  very  com 
fortable  habit  of  indulging  in  a  siesta  when  acting 
as  chaperon.  Perhaps  she  emulated  those  paragons 
of  chaperons,  the  Spanish  duennas. 

After  a  light  and  rather  "  flighty  "  lunch  next  day, 
the  girls  motored  to  the  Grand  Central  Terminal,  and 
even  in  that  vast  extent  of  station  with  its  marble, 
its  tiles,  its  hurrying,  bustling  throngs,  its  red-capped 
porters,  and  its  general  air  of  caring  for  nothing  and 
no  one,  the  girls  created  no  little  stir,  as  they  marched 
in,  two  by  two,  with  Aunt  Theodora  in  the  lead  and 
several  porters  bringing  up  the  rear  with  handbags. 

"We  certainly  are  doing  it  in  style!"  murmured 
Hazel,  to  whom  attention  was  as  the  breath  of  life. 

"Of  course!  Why  not?"  demanded  Alice. 
"  After  all,  there  is  no  place  just  like  New  York  for 
cutting  a  dash  !  " 

"  Well,  don't  cut  up  too  much,"  advised  Hazel. 

Their  train  was  being  announced  as  they  entered, 
and  they  passed  out  through  the  iron-grilled  gates  to 
the  parlour  car,  which  glowed  with  many  electric 
lights,  for  it  was  dark  out  on  that  labyrinth  of 
tracks. 

The  porters  were  tipped  most  graciously  by  Aunt 
Theodora,  who  received  the  homage  of  doffed  caps 


'WE  CERTAINLY  ARE  DOING  IT  IN  STYLE  !"  MURMURED 
HAZEL 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  35 

as  only  a  Southern  woman  can,  and  then  the  girls 
settled  themselves  comfortably  for  a  long  ride. 

"  Well,  we  are  starting,"  said  Sylvia,  with  a  little 
sigh,  as  a  gentle  motion  was  imparted  to  the  long, 
heavy  train.  "  We  are  off  to  the  Adirondacks,  girls." 

"  And  I  wonder  what  we  shall  find  there  ?  "  mur 
mured  Alice. 

"  Find  ?    What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know— exactly." 

"  I  hope  we  find  Roy  better,"  voiced  Sylvia. 

"  So  do  I,"  echoed  Rose.  But  she  smiled,  for  the 
early  morning  telegram,  in  the  form  of  a  night-letter 
this  time,  had  brought  good  news  ere  they  had  left  for 
the  station. 

But  though  Rose  smiled,  somehow,  and  in  a  manner 
for  which  she  could  not  account,  she  had  a  feeling 
of  vague  apprehension.  And  that  this  apprehension 
had  to  do  with  Roy  need  not  be  doubted.  It  was  a 
feeling  as  though  "  something  were  going  to  happen," 
as  we  often  tell  ourselves.  That  was  as  much  of  it 
as  Rose  could  define. 

But  she  managed  to  shake  off  a  little  of  the  feeling 
as  the  train  came  out  of  the  gloomy  line  of  tunnel- 
walls  and,  beyond  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth 
Street,  emerged  into  the  open.  True  there  was  not 
much  to  see,  but  it  was  better  than  nothing,  or  the 
stone  walls. 

Hazel  went  to  the  end  of  the  swaying  car  for  a 
drink  of  water — a  thirst  having  been  engendered  by 
an  indulgence  in  candy — and  on  her  way  back  a 


36          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

sudden  swaying  of  the  coach  threw  her  off  her 
balance. 

"  Watch  your  step ! "  called  out  a  young  man,  near 
whose  chair  she  was  struggling.  Hazel  tried  to,  but 
could  not,  and  the  next  moment  she  was  neatly  de 
posited  on  the  arm  of — not  the  young  man,  but  the 
arm  of  the  chair  in  which  he  sat.  He  put  up  his  hand 
to  Hazel's  back  to  prevent  her  toppling  completely 
over,  murmuring  again : 

"  Watch  your  step ! " 


CHAPTER   V 
IN  SYRACUSE 

"  BEG  your  pardon !    Hope  you're  not  hurt?  " 

It  was  the  young  man  standing  before  Hazel,  and 
bowing  as  he  assisted  her  in  getting  to  her  feet  from 
her  seat  on  the  arm  of  his  chair. 

"  I  beg — your  pardon,"  murmured  Hazel,  her  face 
suffused  with  the  blushes  that  she  could  not  keep  back. 
"  It  was — it  was " 

"  I  know,  the  train !  They  run  a  bit  unevenly  at 
times  with  these  electric  locomotives.  Perfectly  ex 
cusable.  Are  you  sure  you're  not  hurt— sprained 
ankle,  or  anything  like  that  ?  "  he  asked,  anxiously. 

"  Of  course  not,"  murmured  Baby.  She  could  see 
a  changed  look  come  over  the  young  man's  face.  He 
had  taken  her  for  a  little  girl,  and  he  had  found  on 
looking  into  her  eyes  that  she  could  not  be  so  classed, 
though  she  was  "  Baby." 

By  this  time  Aunt  Theodora  had  become  aware  of 
the  little  accident  and  was  walking  down  the  aisle. 

"  Is  anything "  she  began. 

"  Nothing  at  all ! "  cried  Hazel,  quickly,  and  she 
gently  disengaged  her  hand  from  the  rather  too  warm 
and  ardent  one  of  the  young  man.  He  had  taken 
her  hand  in  assisting  her  to  arise,  and  he  seemed  very 

37 


38          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

willing  to  repeat  the  ceremony.  But  Hazel  knew  how 
to  put  up  the  barriers,  though  she  smiled  innocently 
enough  at  the  youth. 

"  Why — why !  "  began  Aunt  Theodora,  and  Sylvia 
began  to  fear  that  something  unpleasant  was  about 
to  transpire.  But  certainly  it  was  not  Hazel's  fault 
that  a  lurch  of  the  train  nearly  threw  her  into  the 
grasp  of  a  good-looking  young  man.  And  he  had 
behaved  very  nicely  about  it,  too.  All  the  girls 
agreed  on  that  point  when  they  talked  the  matter 
over  among  themselves  afterward. 

"It's  Jack  Benton,  isn't  it?"  demanded  Aunt 
Theodora,  as  she  extended  her  hand  to  the  young 
man  in  question. 

Hazel  gasped.  This  was  condescension  indeed  on 
the  part  of  their  chaperon.  But,  somehow  or  other, 
Hazel  was  very  glad.  She  had  evidently  "  fallen  in  " 
with  one  of  Aunt  Theodora's  acquaintances,  and,  in 
spite  of  her  rather  conservative  ways,  Mrs.  Brownley 
was  quite  cosmopolitan  in  many  respects,  and  had 
numerous  acquaintances  in  various  queer  corners  of 
the  earth. 

"  I'm  Jack  Benton — yes'm,"  and  he  clipped  the 
last  word  with  just  the  proper  accent  to  prevent  it 
degenerating  broadly  into  "  ma'am." 

"  You  don't  know  me,  but  your  sister  Ruth " 

"  Oh,  of  course — Miss  Stevenson's  school — you're 
Mrs.  Brownley — I  met  you  at  the  commencement. 
But — er — I  didn't  know  you  with  your  hat  on,  I  sup 
pose — at  least,  that  is — I — er " 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  39 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  murmured  Sylvia,  trying  her  best 
not  to  laugh,  for  Jack  was  certainly  embarrassed  and 
making  a  "  mess  of  it." 

"  Is  this — er — your ?  "  Clearly  he  was  at  a 

loss  how  to  classify  Hazel.  And  she,  little  minx  that 
she  was,  said  not  a  word  to  give  him  an  inkling.  She 
might,  indeed,  have  been  Mrs.  Brownley's  daughter 
or  granddaughter. 

"  But  how  could  I  speak,  except  to  say  '  beg  par 
don !  '  when  I  hadn't  been  introduced?  "  Hazel  asked 
the  girls  afterward. 

"  You  couldn't  of  course — not  with  Aunt  Theodora 
there,"  was  the  decision  of  Alice,  after  a  long  dis 
cussion  of  the  point  in  question,  and  you  may  be  sure 
the  girls  missed  nothing  in  discussing  the  matter 
from  all  its  angles. 

"  Sylvia — Hazel — all  of  you — you  must  remember 
Ruth  Benton,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  And  to  think 
of  meeting  you  here.  Is  your  sister  with  you?  " 

"  No,  I  am  travelling  alone,  though  I  expect  a 
party  of  friends  to  meet  me  at  Albany.  Some  Yale 
fellows  and  I  are  going  on  a  little  trip  up-state." 

"  How  nice !  I'm  so  glad  to  meet  you  again,  Jack. 
These  are  some  of  my  girls.  They  know  your  sister 
slightly,  though  they  were  not  in  her  class.  Sylvia — 
Miss  Pursell — this  is  Jack  Benton — Miss  Hazel 
Reed " 

"  We  have  met  before,"  and  Jack,  of  the  laughing 
eyes,  smiled  at  Hazel  of  the  brown  orbs.  The  others 
were  presented. 


40          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  I  wonder  if  we  are  to  call  him  Jack?  "  murmured 
Sylvia. 

"  I  wish  you  would ! "  he  said,  quickly. 

She  blushed  vividly — not  thinking  he  had  heard 
her. 

"  It's  so  much  nicer,"  he  went  on.  "  Please,  Mrs. 
Brownley — Aunt  Theodora — tell  them  to !  " 

"  To  what,  Jack?  "  The  chaperon  had  been  speak 
ing  to  one  of  the  porters  about  getting  her  a  has 
sock. 

"  Tell  them  to  call  me  Jack.  Let's  not  be  con 
ventional — at  least  not  on  this  trip.  Let's  pretend 
it's  a  sea-voyage,  and  that  this  is  a  steamer.  You 
know,"  he  went  on,  speaking  to  Hazel,  but  for  the 
benefit  of  all,  "  that  acquaintances  on  shipboard  don't 
count  for  anything — that  is,  I  don't  mean  that — I— 
er — I  mean — oh,  call  me  Jack ! "  he  finished,  as  the 
only  way  out  of  the  tangle. 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  shouldn't,"  declared  Aunt 
Theodora.  "  I  intend  to  call  you  that,  as  I  call  your 
sister  Ruth.  The  young  ladies  have  my  permission. 
Won't  you  join  us  in  a  cup  of  tea?  We  had  a  very 
early  lunch." 

Jack  winced  a  little  at  the  mention  of  tea.  Sylvia 
could  see  that,  and  it  became  another  subject  for 
discussion  later. 

"  Delighted,  I'm  sure,"  he,  however,  murmured 
submissively. 

"  They're  going  to  put  up  one  of  the  little  tables 
near  our  chairs,"  went  on  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  You 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  41 

can  move  down  there.  The  car  isn't  crowded,  and 
there  are  some  vacant  places  near  us." 

**  Of  course,"  he  assented.  "  Then  it's  to  be  Jack 
— and — er — Hazel?  "  he  ventured,  with  another 
laughing-eyed  glance  at  her. 

"  I — I  suppose  so,"  she  murmured,  though  she  did 
not  seem  much  abashed. 

"  That's  what  Chicago  will  do  for  one,"  said  Syl 
via  afterward. 

"  Oh,  it's  nothing  of  the  sort ! "  cried  Hazel,  defend 
ing  herself. 

But  they  all  ended  by  calling  him  Jack,  and  he 
addressed  them  by  their  first  names.  After  all  they 
were  but  girls  and  a  boy. 

"  Very  nice  people,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley,  in  an 
aside  to  Sylvia.  "  I  have  visited  them.  Very  cultured 
and  all  that.  Nice  to  know." 

Sylvia  was  sure  of  it,  as  she  glanced  at  Jack.  He 
was  a  clean-cut  youth,  with  perfect  even  and  white 
teeth  that  made  his  smile  most  charming. 

Soon  they  were  merrily  gathered  about  the  tea 
table,  sipping  the  fragrant  beverage,  and  nibbling 
toast  and  cakes.  The  girls  had  better  appetites  than 
Jack  Benton  evinced,  but  then  they  had  been  so  ex 
cited  at  the  prospect  of  starting  that  they  had  done 
little  justice  to  the  early  luncheon  Mrs.  Pursell  had 
had  prepared  for  them. 

"  You  certainly  have  a  fine  trip  ahead  of  you," 
Jack  said,  when  the  objective  of  the  Nowadays  Girls 
had  been  revealed  to  him.  "  I  was  up  in  the  Adiron- 


48          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

dacks  last  fall,  hunting,  and  it  was  delightful  then. 
It  must  be  more  so  now,  with  the  lakes,  the  fishing, 
the  boating  and  all  that.  Wish  I  were  going  along." 

"  Yes,  it  would  be  nice,"  murmured  Hazel. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  he'll  be  there  to  pick  you 
up  every  time  you  stumble  on  the  trail,"  whispered 
Alice. 

Hazel  did  not  answer,  save  by  a  look. 

At  Albany  a  group  of  college  boys  joined  Jack. 
He  introduced  them  to  his  new  friends,  and  there  was 
a  merry  party  that  enlivened  the  coach  for  part  of  the 
remaining  distance. 

The  boys  left  the  party  at  Herkimer,  and  there  was 
where  the  girls  would  have  gone  on  to  their  trip  to 
the  Adirondacks  had  not  they  voted  to  visit  Rose  at 
Syracuse.  I  have  spoken  of  "  stopping  off  "  at  the 
Salt  City,  but  it  really  was  a  going  on,  since  they 
would  have  to  come  back  to  get  on  the  railroad  line 
that  would  take  them  to  Fulton  Chain. 

But  they  were  in  no  haste,  and,  as  Sylvia  said,  they 
might  not  be  up  that  way  again,  so  it  was  only  fair 
to  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  of  stopping 
at  the  home  of  Rose. 

"  I  hope  I  see  you  all  again,"  Jack  Bcnton  had 
said,  on  leaving  the  party,  but,  though  he  included 
all,  he  had  looked  last  at  Hazel,  and  had  shaken  hands 
with  her  finally. 

The  girls,  naturally,  teased  her  about  this  after 
ward.  But  she  only  said : 

"  I  don't  care !    He  was  awfully  nice ! " 


IN   THE  ADI-RONDACKS  43 

And  that  was  her  only  excuse. 

Slowly  the  train  rolled  through  the  streets  of 
Syracuse.  Slowly  because  there  were  so  many  grade 
crossings,  and  then  came  a  whirling  taxicab  trip  to  the 
home  of  Rose,  where  a  warm  welcome  was  extended  to 
the  Nowadays  Girls. 

They  remained  in  Syracuse  for  a  week,  paying  a 
visit  out  to  the  salt  works,  where  the  brine  is  pumped 
up  from  the  depths  of  the  earth,  spread  out  in  shal 
low  vats  to  be  evaporated,  leaving  behind  the  saline 
crystals  which,  after  being  treated,  to  clarify  them, 
are  ready  for  the  market.  The  girls  secured  some  of 
the  peculiar,  brown  crystals  left  in  the  bottoms  of 
the  kettles.  Sawed  into  blocks,  they  made  odd  and 
excellent  paper  weights. 

It  was  a  round  of  gaiety  in  Syracuse,  for  the  Uni 
versity  had  not  yet  closed,  and  Rose  knew  many 
young  people.  So  they  had  all  the  dances  they  wished 
for,  with  teas,  theatre  parties  and  other  like  forms  of 
entertainment. 

"  And  now  really  for  the  Adirondacks  !  "  exclaimed 
Sylvia,  when  they  were  again  ready  to  make  a  start. 
She  had  received  word  that  her  brother  was  doing  as 
well  as  could  be  expected,  though  his  fretfulness  over 
his  inability  to  recall  the  chemical  secret  was  having 
no  very  good  effect. 


CHAPTER   VI 
THE  MISSING  EMERALD 

THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS  arrived  at  Fulton  Chain  at 
11 :05  in  the  morning,  and  stopped  for  lunch  in  a  little 
restaurant  before  taking  the  branch  train  that  went 
to  Old  Forge.  Their  trip  had  been  a  pleasant  one, 
though  a  trifle  tiresome  toward  the  end.  But  al 
ready  they  were  beginning  to  feel  the  invigorating 
mountain  air,  and  it  seemed  to  bring  new  life  to  them. 

They  had  been  mounting  steadily  upward,  and 
now  were  about  eighteen  hundred  feet  above  sea  level. 
All  about  them,  save  for  the  little  settlements,  and  the 
open  spaces  where  the  blue-tinted  lakes  broke  the  con 
tinuity,  was  the  vast  forest. 

"  Oh,  can't  you  just  smell  the  balsam ! "  cried 
Sylvia,  as  she  breathed  in  deep  of  the  sweetly  scented 
air. 

"  They  say  it  makes  one  sleep,"  said  Rose.  "  But 
who  would  want  to  sleep  up  here  ?  " 

"  No  one,"  assented  Hazel.  "  I  just  want  to  get 
out  in  the  woods,  or  in  a  boat,  and  live!  " 

"  It  is  glorious ! "  declared  Alice.  "  Just  per 
fectly  glorious !  " 

From  Fulton  Chain  a  little  railroad  ran  the  two 
miles,  more  or  less,  to  Old  Forge.  This  was  a  village 

44 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  45 

with  a  summer  population  of  about  two  thousand, 
and  it  was  more  up-to-date  than  the  girls  had  ex 
pected  to  find  it.  The  stores  were  well  stocked,  and 
they  learned  that  there  was  an  ever-increasing  trade 
with  summer  campers  and  hotel  folk.  All  about  the 
vicinity  were  many  small  lakes,  the  restaurant  keeper 
told  the  girls,  and  on  the  shores  were  many  camping 
parties.  There  would  be  more  as  the  season  advanced. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  when  we  get  to  Old 
Forge?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Well,  that's  where  we  can  have  a  choice  of  doing 
several  things,"  Sylvia  explained.  "  You  know  Old 
Forge  is  the  gateway,  so  to  speak,  to  eight  small 
lakes,  and  they  are  numbered  instead  of  being  named. 
We  can  go  by  canoe  or  guide-boat,  through  the  eight 
lakes  to  Raquette,  and  so  on,  travelling  any  way  that 
suits  us,  to  Saranac.  What  do  you  say  to  canoeing 
and  carrying?  " 

"  The  canoeing  sounds  all  right,  but  what  is  this 
carrying  ?  "  asked  Hazel.  "  Is  it  carrying-on  ?  " 

"  That  means  you  have  to  carry  your  canoe,"  an 
swered  Sylvia,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Why  can't  you  ride  in  it?  " 

"  Because  there  isn't  any  water." 

"But  you  just  said  there  were  eight  lakes " 

"  I  know,  but  look  here ! "  Sylvia  spread  out  a 
railroad  map  on  the  now  cleared  restaurant  table. 

"  This  is  how  it  is,"  Sylvia  explained,  for  she  had 
made  a  study  of  it  before  proposing  the  Adirondack 
trip.  "  From  Old  Forge,  where  we'll  go  soon,  and 


46          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

spend  the  night,  we  can  canoe  through  the  first  four 
lakes,  which  are  in  a  sort  of  chain — like  beads,  I  sup 
pose.  Or  we  can  go  on  a  steamer,  or  in  a  guide- 
boat?" 

"  What's  a  guide-boat  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  A  boat  with  a  guide  in  it,  of  course,"  declared 
Hazel. 

"  Not  exactly,"  explained  Sylvia.  "  It's  a  sort  of 
boat  designed  by  the  guides  up  here.  It's  a  little  safer 
than  a  canoe,  but  almost  as  light,  and  you  can  row 
it  or  paddle  it,  and  it  will  stand  pretty  rough  water." 

"  Well,  that  sounds  interesting,"  observed  Alice. 
"  I'm  rather  inclined  to  a  guide-boat  myself." 

"  The  steamer  seems  rather  attractive,"  suggested 
Mrs.  Brownley,  "  but  you  girls  do  just  as  you  please. 
I've  been  in  gondolas  on  the  Grand  Canal  of  Venice, 
and  I'm  not  going  to  hold  back  when  it  comes  to  an 
Adirondack  guide-boat ! " 

"  Suppose  we  leave  that  question  until  we  get  to 
Old  Forge,  and  look  the  ground — or,  rather,  the 
water — over,"  suggested  Sylvia. 

"  Good !  "  assented  Hazel. 

"  It's  twelve  miles  through  the  first  four  lakes," 
went  on  Sylvia,  "  and  a  steamer  doesn't  seem  neces 
sary.  Then,  after  we  get  to  the  end  of  the  fourth 
lake  there  is  a  carry  of  one  mile  to  the  sixth  lake." 

"  Just  what  is  a  carry  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  It's  where  you  have  to  carry  your  boat,  and 
everything  in  it,  over  dry  land,  from  one  body  of 
water  to  another,"  said  Sylvia. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  47 

"  Do  they  actually  carry  the  boats — I  mean — 
would  we  have  to?  "  Hazel  wanted  to  know. 

"  We  wouldn't.  The  guides,  or  boatmen,  would  do 
that,  and  they'd  carry  all  our  luggage,"  Sylvia  ex 
plained.  "  That's  why  they  use  canoes,  and  very 
light  boats,  so  they  can  easily  be  transported  over  the 
land  trails.  Well,  as  I  said,  it's  a  one-mile  carry 
from  the  fourth  to  the  sixth  lake." 

"  My,  she's  a  regular  guide-book,"  mocked  Alice. 

"  What  about  the  fifth  lake?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  The  carry  is  around  that.  It's  winding  and 
twisting,  and  one  can  make  better  time  going  on  land. 
Besides,  that  little  lake  may  be  filled  with  stumps — 
and  alligators — for  all  I  know." 

"  Alligators — ugh  !  "  exclaimed  Hazel. 

<f  Nonsense !  No  alligators  up  here,"  laughed 
Rose.  "  This  isn't  the  Everglades  of  Florida." 

"  Go  on.    What  else,  Sylvia  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Well,  you  canoe,  or  boat,  through  lakes  six  and 
seven,  and  then  comes  another  mile  carry  to  lake 
eight,  and  when  you  get  to  the  end  of  that  you're 
ready  to " 

"  Have  supper  and  go  to  bed,"  finished  Hazel,  with 
a  laugh. 

"  Perhaps,"  admitted  Sylvia.  "  Anyhow,  from  the 
eighth  lake  to  Brown's  Tract  Inlet,  which  is  the 
southern  end  of  Raquette,  is  a  carry  of  a  mile  and  a 
half." 

"  Going  up ! "  called  Alice,  in  imitation  of  an  ele 
vator  boy. 


48          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"Well,  that's  the  last  carry  for  some  time,"  said 
Sylvia. 

"  Thank  goodness !  It  makes  one  tired  to  think 
of  the  poor  men  carting  those  boats  on  their  shoul 
ders,"  cried  Hazel. 

"  Well,  now  we're  supposed  to  be  on  Raquette 
Lake,"  went  on  Sylvia,  "  and  that  is  quite  a  body  of 
water.  The  book  says  there  are  brook  trout,  lake 
trout,  whitefish  and  bass  in  those  waters,  but  I  think 
they're  not  all  in  season  now." 

"  I  didn't  know  fish  had  seasons,  like  oysters,"  mur 
mured  Alice. 

"  Oh,  indeed  they  do,"  Sylvia  declared,  "  and  we 
must  be  true  sporting  girls,  and  observe  the  game 
laws,  too,  if  we  do  any  fishing.  If  we  don't,  well,  we 
may  be  arrested,  that's  all." 

"  I'll  let  the  guide  do  my  fishing,"  murmured  Alice, 
with  a  look  at  her  slim,  white  hands,  which  were 
set  off  wonderfully  well  by  the  shimmering  green 
emerald. 

"  Now  that's  the  programme  for  the  first  part  of 
our  trip,"  resumed  Sylvia.  "  We  can  make  the  lake 
journey  in  a  day,  if  we  want  to,  or  we  can  stop  off 
here  and  there  as  suits  our  fancy.  We  want  to  get 
the  best  possible  fun  out  of  this  vacation,  so  I  think 
it's  nice  not  to  have  any  set  schedule,  except  as  to 
where  we  are  going  to  spend  the  night." 

"  Yes,  it  is  always  best  to  arrange  for  that  in  ad 
vance,"  agreed  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  I  wouldn't  want 
any  of  you  to  be  sleeping  out  in  an  open  camp  in 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  49 

these  woods  at  night.  We  must  bow  to  some  of  the 
conventions,  even  if  you  are  Nowadays  Girls,"  she 
added. 

They  telephoned  from  Fulton  Chain  to  the  inn  at 
Old  Forge,  and  managed  to  engage  rooms.  On  the 
little  short  line  of  railroad  they  made  the  trip,  ar 
riving  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  going  direct  to  the 
hotel.  Then,  while  waiting  for  supper,  they  went 
out  to  look  at  the  lake,  at  the  end  of  which  is  located 
the  quaint  and  pretty  village. 

"  Oh,  it  is  just  perfect  here,  just  perfect,"  mur 
mured  Sylvia.  "  Aren't  all  you  girls  glad  you 
came?  " 

"  Aren't  we,  though — just!  "  cried  Alice. 

"  It  was  sweet  of  you  to  think  all  this  out  for  us," 
said  Hazel. 

"  Oh,  I'm  enjoying  it  as  muoh  as  you,  if  not  more," 
was  Sylvia's  rejoinder.  "What's  the  matter,  Rose? 
Why  aren't  you  talking?  "  she  asked,  in  lower  tones, 
for  Rose  was  looking  silently  out  over  the  placid 
lake.  "  I  imagine  we  are  thinking  of  the  same  thing," 
went  on  Roy's  sister.  "  Never  mind ;  we'll  see  him 
soon." 

"  I  hope  so,"  was  the  low-voiced  answer. 

There  was  to  be  a  public  dance  at  the  hotel  that 
night,  as  a  number  of  summer  tourists  and  campers 
had  arrived  on  the  same  train  with  the  girls.  Among 
them  were  several  young  men  who  looked  with  eager, 
but  perfectly  respectful,  eyes  at  the  girls. 

"  I'm  sure  they  can  dance,"  sighed  Hazel,  "  and 


50          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

I  do  so  want  a  good  partner.  I  wonder  if  there  isn't 
a  public  introducer  here !  " 

"  Hazel  Reed !  "  gasped  Rose. 

"  That's  perfectly  proper  nowadays,"  protested 
the  Chicago  girl.  "  It's  done  all  the  while,  especially 
during  the  summer.  I'm  going  to  ask  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley." 

Aunt  Theodora  considered  the  matter  from  sev 
eral  angles,  and,  after  a  talk  with  the  hotel  pro 
prietor  and  his  wife,  decided  that  the  girls  might 
properly  meet  the  young  men.  They  were  well 
known  to  the  hotel-keeper,  and  many  others  present, 
having  been  at  the  same  camp  for  a  number  of  years 
in  succession. 

And  so  with  little,  delightful  flutters  of  excitement 
and  anticipation,  the  girls  opened  their  trunks  and 
laid  out  some  simple  evening  frocks  for  the  dance, 
which  was  to  be  semi-informal. 

"  Oh,  they're  playing  that  lovely  Cecile  hesita 
tion,"  murmured  Hazel,  as  she  and  the  others 
"  floated  "  down  to  the  ballroom,  the  dining-room 
having  been  cleared  for  the  occasion. 

The  girls  found  their  young  men  partners  no  less 
eager  than  they  themselves,  and  soon  the  room  pre 
sented  a  merry  spectacle.  It  was  the  first  large  hop 
of  the  season,  rather  marking  the  official  opening, 
in  a  measure,  and  the  music  was  particularly  good, 
for  the  musicians  were  some  college  boys  who  had 
thus  started  to  earn  vacation  money  to  help  pay 
their  expenses. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  51 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  lovely !  "  whispered  Alice,  during  an 
interval  in  the  dance. 

"  Perfectly  splendid !  "  echoed  Sylvia.  "  Have  you 
a  good  partner?  " 

"  Oh,  he  dances  like  a  dream ! " 

"  Be  careful  you  don't  awaken  and  find  it  a  night 
mare." 

"  No  danger.  Oh,  look !  He's  bringing  some  one 
up  to  introduce  him,  I  do  believe.  I  don't  care  so 
much  for  him,"  and  she  indicated  the  youth,  who 
was  approaching  with  her  partner. 

"  Allow  me,"  murmured  George  Watson,  with  whom 
Alice  had  been  dancing,  and  he  presented  another 
youth,  who  at  once  asked  for  a  dance,  and  was  not 
refused,  as  Alice's  partner  had  asked  to  take  out 
Sylvia  for  the  next  fox  trot. 

Alice's  dislike  of  her  newer  acquaintance  increased 
as  the  dance  went  on.  He  was  a  good  dancer,  but 
he  talked  too  much,  and  asked  too  many  questions, 
not  altogether  conventional.  And  he  held  Alice's 
hand  in  too  firm  a  grasp.  She  tried  to  impress  her 
dislike  on  him  without  voicing  it  in  so  many  words, 
but  he  would  not  take  a  hint. 

"  That  was  fine !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  they  stood  to 
gether  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  applauded  for 
an  encore.  "  Wasn't  it  ?  "  and  he  looked  rather  too 
boldly  into  her  eyes. 

"  The  music  is  very  nice — yes,"  she  assented,  a  bit 
coldly.  Then  the  strains  began  again,  and  they 
danced  off. 


52          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

It  was  when  Alice  went  with  Sylvia  to  get  a  glass 
of  lemonade,  after  the  sixth  dance,  that  she  made  a 
discovery. 

"  Oh,  my  emerald  ring ! "  she  exclaimed,  looking 
hastily  down  at  the  floor.  "  It's  gone — it  isn't  on 
my  finger ! " 

"  Are  you  sure  you  wore  it  downstairs  ?  "  asked 
Sylvia,  knowing  what  a  commotion  a  report  of  any 
thing  valuable  being  lost  occasions  at  a  hotel,  and 
how  much  suspicion  is  cast  thereby. 

"  Of  course  I  had  it.  I  remember  that  Mr.  Wat 
son  remarked  upon  it,  and  when  I  danced  with  the 
feHow  he  introduced — I  think  his  name  was  Tupson 
— the  ring  really  hurt  my  hand,  he  squeezed  it  so !  " 

"Oh,  Alice!" 

"  Well,  he  did !  But  my  lovely  emerald  is  gone, 
and  it's  worth  I  don't  know  how  much !  I  must  speak 
to  the  proprietor  right  away." 

"  Tell  Aunt  Theodora  first,"  suggested  Sylvia. 
"  But  make  sure  it  hasn't  slipped  off  into  your  glass 
of  lemonade,  or  fallen  into  a  fold  of  your  dress. 
Was  the  ring  loose  enough  to  come  off  easily?," 

"  Yes,  too  easily.  My  fingers  seem  to  have  shrunk, 
lately.  I  intended  to  have  the  ring  made  smaller. 
But  now  it's  gone.  Oh,  dear !  "  and  there  were  traces 
of  tears  in  her  eyes. 


CHAPTER    VII 
OVERBOARD 

THEKE  was  a  hurried  search  in  the  room  where  the 
girls  then  were,  a  search  that  extended  even  to  the 
pitcher  of  lemonade.  But  the  gleaming  emerald  was 
not  found.  Alice  was  becoming  more  and  more  upset 
every  moment,  for,  while  the  ring  was  hers,  it  was 
a  very  valuable  one  and  she  knew  her  family  would 
be  most  distressed  at  its  loss. 

"  Oh,  it  must  be  found ! "  the  girl  cried. 

Her  chums  were  with  her  now.  There  was  a  little 
lull  in  the  dance,  and  refreshments  were  being  sought. 

"  Whom  were  you  with  when  you  missed  it  ?  "  asked 
Sylvia. 

"  I  wasn't  with  any  one  exactly  when  I  missed  it, 
but  I  was  dancing  with  that  Tupson  fellow  just  be 
fore,"  and  she  related  to  Hazel  and  Rose  what  she 
had  previously  told  Sylvia. 

"  We  must  tell  Aunt  Theodora  at  once,"  was  the 
decision  the  three  girls  reached  for  Alice,  since  she 
was  too  nervous  to  decide  for  herself. 

Mrs.  Brownley  raised  her  eyebrows  in  surprise 
when  told  of  the  circumstance.  She  did  not  say,  as 
she  well  might  have  done,  at  least  in  her  own  opinion, 
that  Alice  should  not  have  worn  the  ring  in  the  first 

53 


54          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

place  to  a  public  dance,  and  in  the  second,  she  ought 
not  to  have  danced  with  a  young  fellow  to  whom  she 
had  taken  a  dislike. 

But  that  was  over  and  done  with.  The  matter 
now  uppermost  was  how  to  recover  the  jewel,  and 
that  at  the  least  cost  of  embarrassment. 

"  You  don't  dare  ask  him  baldly  whether  he  saw 
it,  or  felt  it  slip  from  your  finger,"  said  Hazel. 

"  No-o-o-o,"  replied  Alice,  slowly,  her  eyes  roving 
about  the  floor  as  if  she  might  see  in  some  nook  or 
corner  the  golden  circlet  with  its  wonderful  green 
stone. 

"  We  must  speak  to  the  proprietor  about  it,  and 
have  him  make  an  announcement,"  decided  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  He  can  do  that  without  giving  offence 
to  any  one.  He  can  say  that  a  valuable  ring  has 
been  lost — dropped,  if  you  like — on  the  dancing 
floor.  No  one  can  be  offended  at  that,  not  even  the 
servants,  and  they  are  very  quick  to  take  umbrage 
at  the  slightest  imputation  on  their  characters." 

"  That's  very  true,"  agreed  Alice.  "  Yes,  an  an 
nouncement  of  that  kind  can  do  no  harm.  Oh,  isn't 
it  horrid !  And  there's  a  lovely  onestep  starting 
now,"  and  in  spite  of  her  distress  she  could  not  re 
frain  from  humming  some  of  the  airs  in  the  medley 
the  musicians  were  then  playing. 

"  You  girls  stay  here,  and  leave  this  to  me,"  said 
Aunt  Theodora.  "  I'll  speak  to  the  proprietor,"  and 
she  went  out  in  her  most  majestic  manner,  fairly 
sweeping  her  way  along. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  55 

The  music  stopped  with  a  crash,  and  the  dancers 
out  on  the  waxen  floor  looked  wonderingly  one  at  the 
other. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  was  on  the  lips  of  all. 

The  Nowadays  Girls  looked  out  from  the  little 
room  where  they  had  been  refreshing  themselves  with 
lemonade.  They  saw  the  hotel  proprietor  advance  to 
the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  at  once  an  excited  whisper 
ran  around. 

"  They  think  he's  going  to  stop  the  dancing,  be 
cause — well  perhaps  because  it  is  too  '  advanced  '  for 
this  wilderness,"  whispered  Hazel. 

"  Listen  !  "  urged  Rose. 

The  announcement  was  made,  with  the  request  that 
if  the  ring  were  found  it  be  left  at  the  hotel  office. 
Then  the  music  began  once  more,  and  the  dancing 
was  resumed. 

"Come  on,  Alice,  aren't  you  going  out  again?" 
asked  Rose,  for  Alice  sat  down  in  a  chair,  her  face 
having  lost  all  its  brightness. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  feel  a  bit  like  dancing.  I  must  find 
my  ring !  " 

The  other  girls  were  out  on  the  floor  now,  near 
the  doorway  of  the  little  refreshment  room.  A  group 
of  young  men,  who  had  been  telling  their  companions 
what  wonderful  dancers  our  friends  were,  came  fairly 
swarming  up  to  claim  partners.  Among  them  was 
young  Tupson,  and  there  was  an  eager  look  on  his 
face. 

"  I  say,  Miss  Harrow ! "  he  began,  catching  sight 


56          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

of  Alice  in  spite  of  her  effort  to  draw  back,  "  whose 
ring  was  lost?  Not  yours,  I  hope?  Not  that  one 
with  the  green  stone  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that's  the  one,"  she  answered.  She  almost 
hated  herself  for  the  ugly  suspicion  that  came  un 
bidden  into  her  mind. 

"  Why,  I  saw  that  on  your  finger  just  before  we 
danced  the  last  encore,"  he  said.  "  I'm  sure  you  had 
it  on  then." 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  had  it,"  Alice  said,  "  but  now  it's 
gone." 

"  Oh,  I  say  now,  that's  too  bad !  We  fellows  will 
help  you  look  for  it.  I  say  Watson,  Craig — let's 
organise  a  searching  party !  " 

"  We  can  look  while  we're  dancing ;  can't  we  ?  " 
suggested  the  youth  who  had  been  whirling  about 
with  Rose.  He  liked  her  style  and  was  anxious  for 
another  turn  on  the  excellent  floor. 

"  It  will  be  best  to  look  when  the  dancers  are  off," 
said  Sylvia.  "  Besides,  the  ring  might  be  stepped  on, 
and  how  hard  are  emeralds,  anyhow?"  she  asked, 
generally.  "  Are  they  as  hard  as  diamonds,  so  they 
can  be  stepped  on  with  impunity  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  shouldn't  want  my  ring  stepped  on ! " 
gasped  Alice. 

"  I  should  say  not!  "  chimed  in  Tupson,  His  was 
not  a  personality  that  attracted  any  of  the  girls. 
It  was  what,  slangily,  might  be  called  "  fresh,"  yet 
he  seemed  anxious  to  do  all  he  could,  and  he  totally 
ignored  the  suspicion  that  might  have  attached  to 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  57 

him,  since  he,  admittedly,  was  the  last  one  to  be 
with  Alice  before  the  ring  was  missed. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  we  ought  to  do,  fellows,"  he 
went  on.  "  Ask  every  one  to  get  off  the  floor  for 
a  while — the  dancers,  musicians,  servants,  every  one. 
Then  we'll  organise  a  committee,  get  brooms  and 
sweep  the  place.  That  ought  to  find  the  ring  if  it's 
here." 

"  That's  the  idea !  "  declared  his  friend  Watson. 

"  It  would  be  most  excellent,  I  think,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  If  it  can  be  done " 

"  I'll  see  to  it,"  went  on  Tupson,  who  seemed  to 
have  plenty  of  assurance.  He  hurried  over  to  the 
proprietor,  talked  with  him  a  few  minutes,  and  the 
latter  made  another  announcement.  The  floor  was 
to  be  cleared  to  allow  a  search  for  the  ring,  in  order 
that  it  might  not  be  stepped  on. 

A  little  later  the  corps  of  young  fellows,  armed 
with  brooms,  were  carefully  going  over  the  dancing- 
floor,  while,  from  the  porch  outside,  and  from  ad 
joining  rooms  and  halls,  the  dancers  watched. 

But  the  ring  was  not  found,  and  Alice  had  much 
ado  to  keep  from  falling  the  tears  that  brimmed  into 
her  eyes.  The  dance  was  resumed,  though  a  little 
spirit  of  depression  seemed  to  have  settled  over  it. 

"  Aren't  you  going  out  again  ?  "  asked  Rose  of 
Alice,  when  the  former  came  to  a  chair  to  rest  after 
a  rather  strenuous  fox  trot. 

"  I  wasn't — no — yes,  I  am,  too !  I'm  going  to  be 
game!  I'm  not  going  to  let  them  see  that  I  care. 


58          THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

After  all,  it  isn't  so  much  the  value  of  the  ring,  as 
the  associations  connected  with  it.  Mamma  will  feel 
dreadfully,  of  course,  but  father  couldn't  bear 
emeralds.  I  loved  it,  though,  it  was  so  quaint, 
and " 

"  It  matched  your  hand  so  well,"  added  Hazel. 

"  Oh,  I  wasn't  thinking  of  tliat,"  Alice  said. 

And  she  did  go  out  again  and  dance,  not  heeding 
the  many  eyes  that  followed  her,  for  it  was  whispered 
about  that  she  was  the  owner  of  the  lost  ring,  and 
its  value  mounted  by  hundreds  (in  gossipy  dollars) 
until  it  was  said  to  be  worth  a  king's  ransom. 

Furtive  looks  were  cast  at  the  dancing-floor  the 
rest  of  the  evening,  but  the  emerald  was  not  discov 
ered,  and  Alice  was  again  rather  in  the  "  dumps  " 
when  she  and  her  girl  chums  went  to  their  rooms. 

"  Well,  there's  one  thing  sure,"  decided  Sylvia, 
"  we  won't  go  on  with  our  trip  to-morrow.  I'll  cancel 
that  order  for  canoes  and  guide-boats.  We'll  stay 
here  a  few  days." 

"Why?  "asked  Rose. 

"  Until  we  see  if  we  can't  find  Alice's  ring,"  was 
the  answer.  "  It  may  come  back  in  some  mysterious 
way.  Jewels  lost  in  hotels  have  a  way  of  doing  that 
if  you  make  fuss  enough  over  them." 

"  I  was  going  to  say  that  I  would  like  to  stay 
over,"  remarked  Alice,  "  but  I  didn't  like  to  propose 
it,  and  keep  you  all  back." 

"  It  will  not  be  any  great  hardship,"  Sylvia  said. 
"  It  is  lovely  here,  as  it  is  all  over  the  Adirondacks, 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  59 

and  we  can  play  golf  and  canoe  here  for  a  day  or 
so,  and  have  all  the  fun  possible.  I'll  just  tell  the 
men  we  engaged  that  we  have  postponed  our  trip  for 
a  week,  perhaps  less." 

"  I'm  so  sorry,"  began  Alice. 

"  You  needn't  be,"  Hazel  declared.  "  This  is  a 
lovely  dancing-floor." 

"  And  there  is  a  nice  golf  course  not  far  away," 
Rose  added.  "  I  can  keep  up  my  game." 

"  Stay,  by  all  means,"  agreed  Mrs.  Brownley. 
"  You  are  out  for  pleasure,  and  half  of  that  consists 
in  doing  things  when  you  want  to,  not  when  you  have 
to.  And  I  do  hope  you  find  your  ring,  Alice." 

The  girls  were  sitting  in  the  private  parlour,  with 
which  their  rooms  were  all  connected,  hair  down,  in 
comfortable  dressing-gowns,  discussing  a  thousand 
and  one  things  just  before  retiring  for  the  night, 
when  there  came  a  knock  on  the  door. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  The  chambermaid.  The  lost  ring  has  been 
found !  "  was  the  reply. 

Electrified,  the  girls  fairly  jumped  to  their  feet. 

"My  ring  found?  Where?  Oh,  where  is  it?" 
Alice  cried. 

"  The  proprietor  has  it  down  in  the  office,"  came 
from  the  voice  on  the  other  side  of  the  door. 

"  Oh— I "  Alice  began. 

"  I'll  get  it,"  said  the  chaperon.  She  had  not  yet 
made  herself  "  comfortable,"  and  was  soon  following 
the  maid  down  to  the  main  office.  There  a  much- 


60          THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

relieved  proprietor  exhibited  the  wonderful  emerald 
ring. 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  Mrs.  Brownley  said,  for  she 
knew  Alice's  jewel  well.  "  Who  had  it?  " 

"  No  one,  Mrs.  Brownley.  That  is,  the  one  who 
had  it  didn't  know  he  had  it,"  and  the  hotel  man 
smiled. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir?  "  and  the  Southern  lady 
rather  drew  herself  up  in  wounded  dignity. 

"  Why,  it  was  this  way.  The  young  fellow  with 
whom  Miss  Harrow  was  dancing  wore  his  trousers 
turned  up  at  the  bottom,  in  a  style  the  young  men 
affect  nowadays.  Well,  it  seems  the  ring  was  found 
in  the  folded-up  part  of  his  trousers.  It  fell  out 
on  the  floor  when  he  went  to  his  room,  and  he  brought 
it  here  at  once." 

"  Why,  isn't  that  remarkable ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  I  have  heard  of  such  things,  but  have 
never  experienced  them.  But  we  are  very  glad  to 
get  back  the  ring." 

"  And  I'm  glad  you  have  it,"  the  hotel  man 
agreed.  "  I'll  sleep  better  to-night." 

Mrs.  Brownley  hurried  back  to  the  girls,  who  were 
anxiously  waiting  for  her,  the  ring  and  the  explana 
tion. 

"  Did  you  ever !  "  exclaimed  Rose. 

"  How  interesting !  "  was  Hazel's  contribution. 

"  Just  like  a  story  or  a  play,"  added  Sylvia. 

"  I  don't  care  how  or  what  it  was,  as  long  as  I 
have  my  ring  back !  "  Alice  said.  "  And  I  can  very 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACK^  61 

well  understand  how  it  happened.  The  ring  slipped 
from  my  finger  and  lodged  in  the  gaping,  upturned 
fold  of  his  trousers.  It  is  lucky  it  didn't  fall  to  the 
floor,  to  be  stepped  on.  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  you  came 
back  to  me ! "  and  she  kissed  the  green  stone  before 
she  slipped  the  golden  circlet  onto  her  slim  finger. 

"  Well,  don't  lose  it  again,  please,"  begged  Aunt 
Theodora. 

"  I  won't  wear  it  while  we're  up  here  in  the  woods," 
Alice  promised. 

Young  Tupper  sought  the  earliest  opportunity 
next  morning  to  speak  to  Alice.  He  described  how 
he  had  found  the  ring. 

"  And  I  say !  "  he  exclaimed,  boyishly,  eagerly,  "  I 
hope  you  don't  think  I  did  it  on  purpose?  " 

"On  purpose?"  echoed  Alice,  her  cheeks  getting 
warm  under  his  gaze. 

"  Yes,  for  a  joke,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  certainly  not ! "  and  Alice  gave  unnecessary 
emphasis  to  the  words. 

"  Then  you'll  forgive  me  ?  " 

"  Of  course !    There's  really  nothing  to  forgive." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  of  that.  I  say  now,  I  hear  you 
girls  are  to  stay  here  for  some  time  longer." 

"  Well,  we  were  going  to,  on  account  of  my  lost 
ring,  but  now  it  has  been  found " 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that,  or  I'll  be  sorry  I  gave  it  back 
to  you,"  he  laughed.  "  But  I  saw  some  of  the  guides, 
and  they  told  me  the  men  you  had  engaged  to  take 
you  through  Fulton  Chain  had  been  disengaged,  and 


62          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

had  taken  another  party  up.  So  that  meant  you 
would  stay,  and " 

"  I'm  not  at  all  sure  what  we  shall  do,"  said  Alice, 
evasively.  She  wished  some  of  her  chums  would 
come  along,  but  Tupson  had  her  alone  in  one  corner 
of  the  big  veranda. 

"  Well,  if  you  do  stay,  even  to-day,  won't  you  let 
me  take  you  out  in  my  canoe?  "  he  pleaded.  "  I  have 
a  large  one.  It's  perfectly  safe." 

"  I— I'll  see,"  Alice  gasped.  "  Oh,  Sylvia !  "  she 
called,  pretending  she  had  seen  her  chum  at  the  hall 
entrance,  and  she  fled  with  a  rustle  of  skirts. 

There  was  a  little  conference  of  the  Nowadays 
Girls  that  morning.  Sylvia  had  carried  out  her  half- 
formed  plan  of  the  night  before,  and  dismissed  the 
boatmen  for  an  indefinite  time.  So  the  travellers  de 
cided  to  remain  at  least  a  few  days  at  Old  Forge,  and 
see  the  surrounding  country. 

"  Then  there's  no  reason  why  Alice  can't  have  her 
canoe  ride,"  said  Hazel.  "  We  all  know  how  she  is 
pining  for  one." 

"  Baby,  if  you !  "  began  the  annoyed  one. 

"  Oh,  well,  I  don't  mind  admitting  that  I  have  an 
invitation  also,"  drawled  Hazel.  "  Now  let's  hear 
from  the  others." 

It  developed  that  each  girl  had  been  asked  by  her 
dancing  partner  of  the  night  before  to  come  for  a 
canoe  ride  on  the  first  of  the  six  lakes  that  morning, 
and,  with  Mrs.  Brownley's  consent,  they  prepared  to 
go. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^  63 

It  was  a  glorious  day,  and  when  the  girls  were 
comfortably  seated  in  the  much-cushioned  canoes, 
afloat  on  the  blue  waters  of  the  lake,  with  the  forests 
and  low  mountains  stretching  off  on  either  side,  it 
seemed  that  they  had  begun  to  spend  a  most  ideal 
vacation. 

The  canoeists  were  to  keep  together  in  a  little 
flotilla,  and  proceed  up  First  Lake  for  a  short  dis 
tance,  go  ashore  and  have  a  little  lunch. 

"Am  I  completely  forgiven?"  asked  Tupson,  of 
Alice,  as  he  poised  his  dripping  paddle. 

"  Of  course,"  she  said,  a  trifle  coldly.  She  did 
not  want  to  encourage  him  too  much,  even  though  he 
was  a  good  dancer. 

The  little  party  indulged  in  quips  and  merry  jests, 
shooting  them  back  and  forth  from  canoe  to  canoe, 
as  they  advanced.  They  were  skirting  the  wooded 
shore  when  Sylvia  proposed  that  they  cross  to  the 
other  side,  where  she  had  been  told  there  was  a  spring 
of  refreshing  water. 

Headed  by  the  canoe  in  which  were  Alice  and 
young  Tupson,  the  little  flotilla  was  paddling  diag 
onally  across  the  body  of  water,  when  there  came 
down  it  a  big  canoe,  propelled  by  a  number  of  young 
men,  who  seemed  to  be  training  for  some  aquatic 
event.  The  water  bubbled  and  boiled  at  the  bow  of 
their  craft. 

"  Look  out  for  them ! "  called  the  youth  with 
Sylvia.  "  They  are  regular  speed-maniacs  !  " 

"  Give  them  plenty  of  room,"  urged  Hazel. 


64          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

Just  as  the  big  canoe  came  opposite  that  contain 
ing  Tupson  and  Alice,  one  of  the  paddles  in  the 
racing  boat  broke.  The  youth  who  had  been  wielding 
it  pitched  forward.  The  canoe  slewed  to  one  side, 
and  shooting  off  its  course,  headed  straight  for  the 
craft  in  which  sat  Alice. 

"  Look  out !  "  cried  many  voices. 

Tupson  tried  desperately  to  do  so,  but  there  was 
not  time. 

An  instant  later  his  canoe  tipped  over,  spilling 
both  him  and  Alice  into  the  lake. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
THE  GOLF   BALL 

"  GIRL  overboard !  " 

"  Man  overboard !  " 

"  Back  water  there !    Around  with  the  boat !  " 

Thus  came  the  cries  from  the  big  racing  canoe.  If 
the  young  men  in  it,  through  their  eager  desire  for 
speed,  had  been  the  cause  of  the  accident,  they  were 
at  least  willing  and  ready  to  do  all  they  could  to 
remedy  it. 

And  they  were  in  the  best  position  for  so  doing, 
since  they  were  nearest  the  scene.  Their  big  craft 
glided  to  the  spot  where  the  canoe  floated  bottom 
upward,  and  there  came  a  sharp  command  from  the 
youth  in  the  bow. 

"  Harris — Wing — get  ready  to  dive !  "  he  com 
manded  curtly.  "  The  rest  of  you  hold  her  steady." 

The  eight  young  men  in  the  racing  canoe  were  all 
in  their  bathing  suits,  and  in  an  instant  two  of  them 
stood  poised  and  ready. 

"There  she  is!  The  fellow,  too!  In  you  go!" 
commanded  the  self-constituted  leader. 

Two  lithe  figures,  their  arms  and  legs  already 
bronzed  by  the  early  summer  sun,  went  down  in  clean 
dives,  with  hardly  a  splash.  At  the  same  instant 

65 


66          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

there  were  two  spots  where  a  commotion  in  the  water 
showed  the  presence  of  Alice  and  Tupson,  coming 
up  after  their  first  immersion. 

Now  Alice  was  a  good  swimmer — in  fact  all  the 
Nowadays  Girls  were — and  she  had  held  her  breath 
as  she  felt  the  waters  closing  over  her.  And  when 
she  struck  out  and  came  to  the  surface  she  was  ready 
for  the  next  move  in  the  emergency. 

But  even  a  good  swimmer  is  hampered  by  wet  and 
clinging  clothing,  particularly  a  girl  or  woman,  and 
Alice  felt  a  momentary  fear,  that  passed  almost  as 
soon  as  formed,  for  she  saw  a  bronze-faced  young 
man  striking  out  to  aid  her. 

"  Put  your  hand  on  my  shoulder,"  he  advised  her, 
in  calm,  even  tones. 

"  Oh,  I — I  can  swim  all  right,"  Alice  assured  him. 
She  did  not  want  him  to  think  that  she  would  fran 
tically  clutch  him  about  the  neck,  or  do  any  of  those 
things  that  persons,  unable  to  swim,  are  apt  to  do 
when  they  fall  into  the  water  and  see  a  rescuer 
coming.  "  I  can  swim,"  she  repeated,  "  it  is  only 
that  my  skirts  are  so  wet  and  clinging." 

"  I  understand,"  he  said.    "  You're  all  right !  " 

"Is  he — he?"  asked  Alice,  and  then  she  had  to 
turn  her  face  away  from  a  little  wave  that  splashed 
up  at  her.  The  other  canoes,  with  their  frightened 
occupants,  were  drawing  near. 

"  Your  friend  is  being  taken  care  of,"  her  res 
cuer  said.  "  He  doesn't  seem  to  be  able  to  swim  as 
well  as  you." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  67 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  you  will  save  him ! "  she  cried,  at 
the  same  time  thinking  how  strange  it  sounded  to 
hear  Tupson  spoken  of  as  her  "  friend." 

"  He'll  be  all  right.  Wing  has  him  safe,  and  Wing 
knows  how  to  handle  his  kind.  Now  shall  we  right 
your  canoe,  or  will  you  come  in  ours?  " 

"  It  looks  to  be  easier  to  get  into  yours." 

"  Yes,  it's  much  larger  and  steadier.  Over  this 
way." 

He  guided  her,  keeping  her  up  by  placing  one  of 
her  hands  on  his  shoulder.  Alice  could  feel  the  strong, 
rhythmic  ripple  of  his  muscles  as  he  struck  out  for 
the  big  canoe,  not  far  away. 

"  Lift  her  in !  "  commanded  the  youth  in  the  bow. 

"  If  you  don't  mind,"  Alice  said,  calmly,  for  she 
had  full  control  of  herself  now,  "  I'll  just  hold  on 
to  the  stern  and  let  you  paddle  over  toward  the  shore. 
I'm  not  a  bit  cold,  and  it  isn't  far." 

"  Well,  just  as  you  like,"  assented  the  leader.  He 
divined  her  reason  for  not  wanting  to  clamber  into 
a  boat,  all  dripping  wet  as  she  was,  when  the  boat 
was  filled  with  eager-eyed  young  fellows. 

"  Wing  has  his  man — guess  he  had  to  hit  him," 
some  one  said. 

Alice,  clinging  to  the  stern  of  the  big  canoe,  saw 
another  bronzed  swimmer  approaching,  supporting 
on  one  arm  the  limp  form  of  her  former  companion. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  he  isn't  hurt,"  she  gasped,  in  much 
anxiety. 

"  Don't  worry,"  her  own  rescuer  said.     "  Wing 


68          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

has  served  as  a  lifeguard  at  Atlantic  City.  He  knows 
what  to  do." 

Tupson  was  not  much  stunned  by  the  blow  Wing 
had  been  obliged  to  deal  him  to  prevent  the  frantic 
clutch  that  might  have  meant  a  death-hold  for  both 
of  them.  A  little  later  Tupson  was  hoisted  into  the 
big  canoe,  which  was  paddled  ashore,  towing  Alice 
and  Harris,  who  stoutly  insisted  on  remaining  near 
her. 

Very  much  bedraggled,  and  not  a  little  embar 
rassed,  Alice  was  helped  on  shore  near  a  small 
summer  cottage,  the  owner  of  which  at  once  sent  his 
wife  to  look  after  the  unfortunate  one.  Alice  was 
taken  to  the  house,  her  companions  following.  Tup- 
son  soon  recovered,  and  was  not  a  little  ashamed  of 
himself. 

But  the  fault  lay  with  the  broken  paddle  of  the 
big  canoe,  and  while  that  was  an  accident,  it  might 
not  have  occurred  had  not  the  boys  been  speeding 
in  their  craft.  They  expressed  their  regret  and  did 
all  they  could,  bringing  ashore  the  overturned  canoe, 
righting  it  and  putting  it  in  the  sun  where  it  would 
dry. 

Meanwhile  Alice  was  being  provided  with  an  outfit 
of  dry  garments  by  the  owner  of  the  cottage,  and 
a  messenger  was  despatched  to  the  hotel,  not  far 
away,  for  some  of  her  own  clothes.  Reassuring  word 
was  also  sent  to  Mrs.  Brownley,  for  fear  she  would 
hear  an  exaggerated  report  of  the  accident  and  worry 
unnecessarily. 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  69 

"  And  now  that  I'm  clothed,  and  in  my  right  mind, 
let's  continue  the  trip,"  suggested  Alice. 

"Do  you  mean  it?"  asked  one  of  the  boys  who, 
with  Tupson,  formed  the  escort  of  the  Nowadays 
Girls. 

"  Mean  it  ?  Of  course  I  mean  it !  Why  not  ?  I'm 
all  right,  and  if  Mr.  Tupson " 

"  Oh,  I'm  game !  "  he  declared.  "  I'm  ashamed  of 
not  behaving  better  in  the  water,  but  I  lost  my  head. 
I  was  worried  about  you,"  he  said  to  Alice. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  graciously  replied.  "  Then  let's 
go  on." 

Tupson  was  sufficiently  dried  out,  and  the  trip  was 
resumed.  Fortunately  the  lunch  was  not  in  the  over 
turned  canoe,  and  the  impromptu  picnic  was  success 
fully  carried  out. 

The  little  accident  provided  a  fruitful  subject  for 
conversation  at  the  hotel  that  afternoon,  when  the 
porch  was  filled  with  animated  rocking-chairs  and 
their  gossipy  occupants.  The  girls  were  rather  the 
heroines  of  the  occasion,  especially  Alice,  and  she  was 
formally  waited  upon  by  the  eight  canoeists,  who  said 
they  regretted  that  their  desire  for  speed  had  caused 
annoyance  to  any  one.  Their  apologies  were 
graciously  accepted. 

"  How  much  longer  are  we  going  to  stay  here?  " 
asked  Rose  that  night. 

"  Getting  anxious  to  get  to  Saranac  ?  "  questioned 
Hazel. 

"  Well, — yes,"  was  the  frank  answer.     "  But  if 


70  THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

we  are  going  to  stay  another  day  or  so,  I'm  going  in 
for  a  bit  of  golf.  I  can  borrow  a  set  of  clubs  here, 
and  the  links  are  good,  though  rather  small." 

"  Have  a  game,  by  all  means,  if  you  like,"  assented 
Sylvia.  "  We'll  make  up  a  foursome,  I'll  take  Rose." 

"  How  nicely  she  says  it !  "  laughed  Alice.  "  Very 
well,  we're  not  to  be  frightened;  are  we,  Hazel?  Are 
you  in  form  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we'll  accept  the  challenge.  Let's  go  out  and 
have  a  look  at  the  course." 

They  found  it  a  fairly  good  one,  and  a  game  was 
soon  arranged. 

"  My !  Look  at  those  girls  !  "  exclaimed  an  elderly 
lady  on  the  hotel  porch,  as  she  saw  the  four  depart 
ing  with  caddies  at  their  side,  carrying  the  bags. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  them?  "  some  one  asked. 

"  Why,  the  things  they  do — first  they're  dancing, 
then  they're  canoeing — and  incidentally  upsetting, 
next  they're  off  golfing.  I  wouldn't  be  surprised  to 
see  them  in  an  aeroplane  next." 

"  Nor  I,"  assented  her  companion.  "  They  cer 
tainly  are  up-to-date  girls.  But  they  are  delightful, 
and  they  are  real  girls,  not  powdery  imitations." 

"  Humph !  The  cat !  "  exclaimed  a  tall,  willowy 
young  lady  who  overheard  this.  She  kept  very  much 
in  the  shade,  and  her  nose  looked  as  though  she  had 
dipped  it  into  a  flour  barrel  and  then  forgotten  to 
take  it  out. 

"Fore!"  called  Rose,  who  led  off  in  the  golf 
game. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  71 

She  grasped  her  driver  firmly,  settled  herself  on 
the  bare,  clay-covered  tee,  and  drove  off  with  all  her 
force. 

"  Crack ! "  went  her  driver  against  the  white  ball. 

"  Oh,  Rose !  "  cried  Sylvia.    But  it  was  too  late. 

Across  behind  a  bunker,  toward  which  Rose  drove, 
a  young  man  walked,  and  a  moment  later  the  girls 
saw  the  white  golf  ball  strike  him  on  the  head.  He 
fell  as  if  shot,  dropping  out  of  sight  behind  the  long, 
grassy  hill  that  formed  a  hazard  on  the  links. 


CHAPTER   IX 
ONWARD 

"  OH — oh,    Rose !  "   gasped    Hazel.     "  You — you've 
done  it ! " 

"  What  has  she  done — killed  him  ?  "  gasped  Alice. 

"  Don't  say  such  silly  things ! "  chided  Sylvia. 
"  Come  on  and  see !  " 

She  darted  forward,  the  short,  golfing  skirt  she 
wore  being  no  hindrance  to  her  speed,  but  quick  as 
Sylvia  was,  Rose  was  off  ahead  of  her.  She  had  cast 
her  driver  aside,  and  her  face  was  now  rather  pale. 
The  caddies  followed,  giving  voice  to  various  ex 
pressions. 

Rose  was  first  to  reach  the  bunker.  She  found  a 
very  much  dazed  youth  sitting  up,  holding  a  cap  in 
one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  was  rubbing  his 
head. 

"  Oh !  are  you — hurt  ?  "  Rose  gasped,  kneeling 
down  beside  him. 

"  Just  a  little — little  knock,"  he  answered,  cheer 
fully — as  cheerfully  as  possible  under  the  circum 
stances.  "  Who — who  did  it?  Oh,  it  was  a  golf  ball. 
I  see,"  and  he  looked  at  the  checkered  sphere  of  white 
gutta  percha  that  lay  in  the  sand  on  the  far  side  of 
the  bunker. 

72 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  73 

"  I  did  it,"  confessed  Rose.  "  I  called  *  fore ! '  but 
I  didn't  see  you  until  after  I  drove  off.  My  friends 
called  to  me,  but  too  late.  I  hope  you're  not  badly 
hurt?  " 

"  Hardly  at  all.  My  cap  is  quite  thick.  But  it 
serves  me  right,  anyhow.  I  ought  not  to  have  crossed 
the  course.  Now  you  girls  are  even  with  me,"  and  he 
started  to  rise. 

"  Even  with  you  ?  "  repeated  Sylvia,  as  she  held 
out  a  brown  and  muscular  hand  to  help  him  to  his 
feet,  for  he  seemed  dizzy  and  weak. 

"  Yes.  I'm  the  chap  whose  paddle  broke  in  the 
canoe  the  time  it  ran  into  one  that  one  of  you  girls 
was  in.  You've  paid  your  score !  "  and  he  smiled, 
grimly. 

"  Oh !  As  if "  began  Rose,  now  blushing  to 

match  her  name. 

"  Of  course  I  was  only  joking,"  he  said,  quickly. 
"  Thank  you,"  he  went  on  to  Sylvia.  "  It  did  knock 
me  out  a  bit.  I  thought  it  was  a  lightning  stroke, 
though  I  hadn't  seen  any  clouds  before  I  crossed  the 
links." 

"  Oh,  are  you  sure  you're  all  right  ?  "  asked  Rose, 
anxiously,  while  the  circle  of  caddies  stood  in  an 
outer  ring,  grinning  sympathetically. 

"  Oh,  yes,  as  right  as  ever,"  he  said,  saying  noth 
ing  about  the  ache  of  his  head.  "  Serves  me  right 
for  crossing  where  I'd  no  business  to.  I'll  go  back, 
and  you  can  go  on  with  your  game." 

"  Are  you  sure  you're  all  right?  "  insisted  Sylvia. 


74  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

She  recognised  the  youth  now  as  one  of  the  party 
that  owned  the  big  canoe. 

"  Positive,"  he  answered,  with  a  cheerfulness  he 
did  not  altogether  feel.  "  Allow  me  to  restore  your 
golf  ball,"  he  went  on,  picking  up  the  one  Rose  had 
driven.  "  It  doesn't  seem  to  be  harmed  any,"  he 
went  on,  whimsically.  "  I  think  you  ought  to  be 
allowed  to  take  that  shot  over  again.  The  ball  was 
travelling  pretty  well  when  I  interfered  with  it,  and 
I'm  sure  you  would  get  a  better  lay  than  this,"  and 
he  indicated  the  sand. 

"  Yes,  drive  over  again,"  suggested  Alice. 

The  young  fellow  bowed  pleasantly,  winked  at  the 
caddies  and  walked  back  in  the  direction  whence  he 
had  come  when  his  course  was  so  suddenly  inter 
rupted. 

"  No  more  crossing  of  golf  courses  for  me !  "  he 
said,  emphatically. 

The  girls  insisted  on  Rose  taking  her  drive  again, 
and  she  went  far  beyond  the  bunker.  Then  the 
others,  in  turn,  drove  off  from  the  tee,  and  the  game 
was  on. 

Never  was  golf  played  under  more  ideal  condi 
tions.  True,  the  girls  had  played  on  better  and 
larger  links,  but  this  was  a  new  locality  for  them, 
and  every  now  and  then  they  would  pause  to  gaze 
off  at  the  distant  mountains,  to  look  down  at  the 
little  blue  lakes  or  take  deep  breaths  of  the  balsam- 
laden  air. 

"  Oh,  it's  too  nice,  almost,  to  play  golf,"  sighed 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACK^  75 

Sylvia.  "  I  want  to  be  in  the  woods — just  in  the 
woods." 

"  You'll  be  in  the  ditch  in  a  minute,  if  you  don't 
watch  where  you're  driving,"  declared  Alice.  "  Come 
on,  play  the  game." 

The  girls  were  evenly  matched,  and  even  the  cad 
dies  became  interested  in  the  impromptu  contest. 

"  Say !  "  declared  one  youngster,  "  they  are  the 
real  article  all  right.  They  sure  can  swing  the 
clubs ! " 

It  was  his  best  and  most  sincere  compliment,  and 
Rose,  whose  second  long,  lifting  drive  had  called  it 
forth,  smiled  in  a  gratified  way.  She  preferred  a 
tribute  such  as  that  to  one  more  or  less  half-hearted 
from  some  older  and  more  sophisticated  admirer. 

Sylvia  and  Rose  won  by  a  small  margin,  much  to 
their  delight,  especially  Rose's,  for  she  was  an  en 
thusiast,  though  the  other  girls  were  good  players, 
too. 

"  Well,  now  for  some  tea,  and  then  we'll  freshen 
up  for  the  dance  to-night,"  suggested  Hazel,  as  she 
removed  her  yellow  chamois  gloves.  "  I  feel  just  like 
a  dance !  "  and  she  curved  and  pivoted  over  the  grass. 

"  We  certainly  are  having  a  fine  time  here,"  de 
clared  Sylvia,  "  but  we  must  not  forget  our  plan  to 
go  on  to  Saranac.  I  know  Roy  will  be  anxious  to 
see  us,  now  that  he  knows  we  are  coming.  And  I  do 
so  want  to  see  him,  and  know  that  he  is  getting 
better." 

"  We  all  do,  my  dear,"  said  Alice. 


76          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"There  was  no  word  to-day;  was  there?"  asked 
Rose. 

"  No,  I  told  the  folks  at  home  to  relay  the  mes 
sages  here  every  second  day,  as  we  could  not  tell 
just  where  we  would  be.  But  what  do  you  girls  say 
now  to  starting  on  through  the  Chain  to-morrow,  or 
next  day  ?  " 

"  Whatever  you  say,"  said  Hazel.  "  They  told 
me  at  the  hotel  there  was  good  fishing  around  here, 
in  some  of  the  Fulton  Chain  lakes,  and  I'm  anxious 
to  try." 

"  Let's  go  fishing  before  we  start  on  our  trip ! " 
proposed  Rose,  and  Sylvia  assented. 

The  next  day  they  engaged  boats  and  guides — 
two  boats  for  four  of  them,  and  began  to  try  their 
luck. 

The  girls  at  once  won  the  admiration  of  the  fisher 
men,  for  neither  Sylvia,  Rose,  Hazel  nor  Alice  was 
afraid  to  bait  her  own  hook,  and  they  could  remove 
the  fish  once  they  had  landed  them. 

"  Oh,  what  luck ! "  cried  Rose,  as  she  hooked  a 
large  lake  trout.  She  played  her  catch  well,  and 
brought  him  exhausted  to  the  side  of  the  guide-boat, 
to  the  envy  of  her  companions. 

But  Sylvia  was  not  far  behind,  with  a  good-sized 
bass.  The  season  had  opened  only  a  few  days  before, 
so  that  the  fish  had  not  been  thinned  out. 

Alice  and  Hazel  had  fair  luck  also. 

"  Well,  those  girls  certainly  can  do  anything ! " 
declared  one  of  the  members  of  the  porch  rocking- 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^  77 

chair  brigade  as  the  four  came  back  with  strings  of 
fish.  "  I  wonder  their  folks  allow  them  to  rough  it 
in  this  fashion." 

"  Why,  they  are  with  that  delightful  Southern 
lady,"  said  a  companion.  "  She  is  chaperoning 
them." 

"  Humph !  I  don't  call  it  much  chaperoning  when 
she  sits  on  a  porch  all  day  reading,  and  lets  the  girls 
go  off  with  the  fishermen." 

"  The  fishermen  around  here  are  the  finest  men  you 
could  meet,"  was  the  quick  answer.  "  I  and  several 
of  my  friends  have  been  out  with  them.  They  are 
real  gentlemen ! " 

"  Humph !  "  sniffed  the  other.  "  They  don't  look 
it!" 

There,  was  a  last  dance  at  the  hotel,  a  dance  that 
brought  forth  many  expressions  of  regret  from  the 
young  men  who  had  enjoyed  the  company  of  the 
Nowadays  Girls. 

"Will  you  stop  here  on  your  way  back?"  had 
been  an  oft-repeated  question. 

"  Perhaps,"  Sylvia  said,  with  a  smile. 

Once  more  they  were  going  onward.  They  en 
gaged  guide-boats  and  guides  and  started  up  the 
Fulton  Chain  for  Raquette  Lake,  where  they  in 
tended  to  spend  some  time. 

"  And  there  we'll  get  a  motor  boat,"  said  Sylvia, 
"  and  do  a  bit  of  exploring." 

"  That  will  be  jolly !  "  cried  Rose. 

With  their  luggage,  they  took  their  places  in  the 


78          THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

guide-boats,  and  the  start  was  made.  It  is  twelve 
miles  from  Old  Forge  to  the  head  of  Fourth  Lake  of 
the  Fulton  Chain,  where  the  first  carry  must  be  made. 
They  had  made  an  early  start,  and  intended  to  have 
lunch  in  the  open  at  the  beginning  of  the  carry, 
which  they  reached  in  due  course. 

"  All  out ! "  cried  Sylvia,  as  the  boats  grounded 
on  the  shore.     "  All  out,  and  get  ready  for  lunch !  " 


CHAPTER   X 
A   NIGHT   OUT 

THREE  men  had  been  engaged  to  take  the  party  of 
girls  and  Mrs.  Brownley  through  the  Fulton  Chain 
of  lakes.  As  has  been  said,  the  journey  may  be 
made  in  a  day,  enabling  one,  with  proper  equipment 
and  by  using  due  speed,  to  reach  Raquette  Lake  in 
time  for  a  late  dinner.  This  had  been  the  plan  of 
Sylvia  and  her  friends. 

They  had  planned  to  stop  for  lunch  en  route  and, 
accordingly,  had  brought  with  them  materials  for  a 
satisfying  meal.  One  of  the  three  men  was  a  camp 
cook,  and  to  him  was  entrusted  the  work  of  getting 
the  meal  ready.  The  other  two  men  were  guides  or 
boatmen  in  whose  craft  the  trip  had  thus  far  been 
made. 

"  Now  if  you'll  get  lunch  ready  we'll  be  ready  for 
it  as  soon  as  we  hear  you  call,"  Sylvia  said  to  the 
chef. 

"  Are  you  going  away,  miss  ?  "  he  asked,  pausing 
in  the  work  of  taking  from  the  boat  various  cun 
ningly  stowed-away  packages. 

"  Just  for  a  stroll  in  the  woods,"  she  told  him. 

"Well,  don't  go  too  far,"  he  advised  her.  "If 
you  don't  know  the  trails  you  might  get  confused, 

79 


80          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

and  have  trouble  findin'  your  way  back.  And  if 
you  expect  to  get  to  Raquette  Lake  to-night  we 
can't  lose  much  time." 

"  Oh,  we'll  not  go  far,"  Rose  said. 

"  No,  indeed ! "  chimed  in  Hazel,  as  she  gave  a 
surreptitious  glance  into  a  mirror  hidden  in  the  flap 
of  her  handbag,  and  gave  her  nose  an  equally  secret 
"  dab,"  though  why  she  should,  up  in  that  wilderness, 
she  herself  could  not  have  said. 

"  Too  hungry  to  go  far,"  added  Alice. 

"  Why,  can  one  become  lost  in  these  woods  ?  " 
asked  Aunt  Theodora. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  lady ! "  exclaimed  one  of  the  boat 
men.  "  I  knowed  a  man  who  started  to  walk  from 
one  tree  to  another  while  he  was  waitin'  for  his  coffee 
to  boil,  but  when  he  got  back  the  coffee  pot  had 
melted!" 

"  Indeed ! "  exclaimed  the  chaperon,  with  a  lifting 
of  her  aristocratic  eyebrows.  "  Did  the  fire  become 
too  hot?" 

"  Well,  not  exactly,  lady,  but  you  see  the  man  got 
lost,  and  was  gone  so  long  that  the  coffee  boiled 
away  and  the  bottom  of  the  pot  melted.  I'm  only 
tellin'  you  that,  so  you  won't  go  too  far." 

"  There's  no  danger,"  Sylvia  said,  with  a  laugh. 
"  We'll  keep  on  the  trail.  And  I  think  we'll  have 
tea,  instead  of  coffee,"  she  added  to  the  chef,  for  a 
tea  outfit  had  been  brought  along,  and  one  of  the 
men  was  lighting  the  alcohol  stove  which  was  not 
only  to  boil  water  for  the  beverage,  but  also  to  warm 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^  81 

some  of  the  numerous  viands.  Solid  alcohol  was  used 
as  fuel. 

Indeed  the  Nowadays  Girls  had  gone  carefully  into 
this  matter  of  sojourning  in  the  Adirondacks,  and 
while  they  expected  to  spend  most  of  the  time  at  well- 
known  hotels  or  in  camp  resorts,  they  were  also  pro 
vided  for  some  life  in  the  open,  either  in  tent  or 
cabin,  and  they  had  purchased  the  very  latest  in 
outfits. 

"  No  smoky  wood  fires  for  us,  except  when  we've 
had  our  meals  and  want  to  sit  around  it  and  be 
romantic,"  Sylvia  had  said,  and  the  others  had 
agreed  with  her.  Consequently  they  had  a  small 
camping  outfit  with  them  that  for  compactness  and 
convenience  would  be  difficult  to  surpass. 

So  while  the  girls  and  Mrs.  Brownley  started  off 
to  admire  the  beauty  of  the  woods  and  the  end  of 
Fourth  Lake  nestling  amid  the  trees,  the  cook  got 
ready  the  meal.  He  was  an  expert  in  his  line,  and 
after  he  had  set  the  kettle  over  the  flame  of  the  nickled 
alcohol  stove  he  found  a  good  place  to  set  the  table 
on  the  ground,  spreading  the  cloth  over  a  layer  of 
flat  balsam  branches  which  gave  forth  a  most  ap 
petising  odour. 

The  boatmen  prepared  to  set  off  with  the  craft 
on  the  one-mile  carry  to  Sixth  Lake,  the  fifth,  as  I 
have  explained,  being  omitted  from  the  water  route 
in  covering  the  chain,  since  it  was  so  winding  that 
nearly  twice  the  distance  would  have  had  to  be  cov 
ered  if  they  kept  to  the  boats. 


83          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

There  was  not  a  little  luggage  to  be  transported, 
in  addition  to  the  boats,  and  the  men  would  be  kept 
busy.  The  heavier  baggage  had  been  sent  on  ahead 
to  the  town  of  Raquette  Lake,  located  on  the  lower 
end  of  that  body  of  water,  just  beyond  the  point 
where  Brown's  Tract  Inlet  joins  it. 

"Oh,  did  you  ever  see  a  more  perfect  place?" 
demanded  Alice,  as  she  came  to  a  pause  in  the  woods, 
and  gazed  about  her. 

"  It's  just  grand,"  agreed  Rose.  "  It  makes  one 
just  glad  to  be  alive;  doesn't  it,  Baby?"  she  de 
manded  of  her  diminutive  chum,  who  was  thought 
fully  gazing  off  into  the  depths  of  the  forest. 

"  What  is  it?  Oh,  yes,  of  course !  "  was  the  rather 
hasty  answer. 

"  She  hasn't  heard  a  word  we've  said !  "  laughed 
Alice.  "  Never  mind,  Baby.  We  all  know  what  you 
are  thinking  of,  at  any  rate,"  and  playfully  she  ruf 
fled  the  hair  of  the  smaller  girl. 

"  Oh,  don't !  "  was  the  protest. 

"What  matter?  No  one  to  see  you  here,  Baby, 
except  the  boatmen,  and  they  don't  count." 

"  Oh,  but  we  must  always  look  our  best,  even  be 
fore  servants,  my  dears,"  remonstrated  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley,  gently.  That  was  one  rule  she  insisted  on. 
Negligee  had  in  this  lady  one  of  its  most  deadly 
enemies. 

"  Oh,  well,  of  course,  I  didn't  mean  just  that," 
apologised  Alice. 

They  strolled   on  through  the  dense  woods   that 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  83 

came  to  the  very  edge  of  the  trail.  Now  and  then 
the  silence  was  broken  by  the  crashing  down  of  some 
old  tree,  or  the  fall  of  a  dead  branch.  Again,  birds 
would  give  voice  to  their  chirping  notes,  and  the 
flutter  of  their  wings  would  be  heard.  Occasionally, 
from  some  lonely  and  unseen  pond,  would  come  the 
call  of  the  loon,  that  strange  and  often  solitary  bird 
whose  cry  has  such  a  weird  sound,  especially  if  heard 
at  the  dead  of  night.  Again  would  come  the  distant 
voices  of  boatmen,  or  of  camping  parties,  en  route 
even  as  our  friends  were. 

"  And  to  think,"  said  Sylvia,  softly,  "  that  up 
there,"  and  she  pointed  to  the  north,  "  Roy  is  in  these 
same  woods.  I  wonder  what  he  is  doing?  " 

"  Getting  well  and  strong,  I  hope,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley,  cheerfully. 

"  I  hope  so,  too,"  murmured  Rose. 

They  returned  to  the  place  where  they  had  left 
their  boats  to  find  a  simple  but  perfectly-prepared 
meal  awaiting  them.  Spread  out  on  the  snowy  cloth, 
set  off  wonderfully  well  by  the  border  of  underlying 
layer  of  green  balsam  boughs,  were  the  viands  they 
had  brought.  The  kettle  sang  cheerfully  on  the  al 
cohol  stove  and  there  was  an  omelet,  so  light  that  it 
seemed  a  breath  would  flatten  it  out  like  a  griddle- 
cake. 

"  Just  in  time,  ladies,"  the  chef  remarked.  "  The 
omelet  is  all  ready  to  serve." 

Such  appetites  as  the  girls  brought  to  the  feast ! 

"  There  won't  be  much  left  to  take  over  the  carry," 


84          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

observed  Sylvia.  "  Pass  the  olives,  Rose  dear.  That 
is,  if  Alice  has  left  any." 

"  Left  any !    What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we  all  know  your  fondness." 

"  There's  an  unopened  bottle,"  remarked  Hazel. 
"  I  had  some  extra  ones  put  in." 

"  Bless  you,  my  dear !  "  murmured  Alice.  "  They 
are  so  tasty,  especially  in  the  woods." 

The  luncheon  went  on  amid  merry  quip  and  laugh 
ter.  When  it  was  over  the  men  had  their  meal,  and 
one  of  them  offered  to  walk  on  ahead  with  the  girls 
and  Mrs.  Brownley,  and  show  them  the  trail  to  Sixth 
Lake.  It  was  quite  plain,  through  the  woods,  for 
it  was  much-travelled,  but  the  guide  was  not  going 
to  risk  his  reputation  by  having  any  of  his  party 
stray  off  into  the  forest,  and  have  it  be  said  of  him 
that  he  did  not  look  well  after  his  patrons. 

The  chef  and  the  other  guide  remained  behind  to 
bring  on  the  luncheon  articles.  The  boats  and  bag 
gage,  having  been  safely  transported,  awaited  the 
arrival  of  the  girls  at  Sixth  Lake. 

"  About  what  time  do  you  think  we  shall  get  to 
Raquette  Lake?"  asked  Sylvia  of  the  man  in  her 
boat,  when  they  were  once  more  under  way. 

"  We  ought  to  be  there  about  seven  o'clock,  miss. 
That  is,  if  nothing  happens,"  and  he  gave  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  sky. 

"  If  nothing  happens !  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  de 
manded  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  Well,  it's  nothing  to  be  alarmed  about,  but  I 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  85 

think  we're  going  to  have  a  thunderstorm,"  he  re 
marked.  "  That  might  delay  us,  for  sometimes  it 
rains  so  hard  that  it's  hard  to  see  where  you're  row 
ing,  and  we  may  have  to  stop  on  shore  until  it's 
over." 

"  Are  there  any  places  to  stop  ?  "  asked  Sylvia, 
determined  to  make  provision  for  the  worst,  if  neces 
sary/ 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  are  open  camps,  and  some  closed 
ones  where  we  could  put  up  if  we  couldn't  reach 
Raquette  Lake.  But  we'll  try  to  get  you  there.  Pull 
hard,  boys,"  he  called  to  his  companion  and  the  chef, 
who  was  also  taking  his  "  spell "  at  the  oars  of  the 
light  guide-boats. 

But  it  was  evident  to  the  girls  themselves  that  they 
were  not  going  to  escape  the  storm.  To  the  low  and 
deep  rumblings  in  the  west,  there  succeeded  louder- 
voiced  mutterings  of  some  unseen  god  of  the  weather. 
The  black  clouds  were  slashed  open  now  and  then 
by  vivid  streaks  of  lightning,  rose-tinted  and  pink, 
and  again  of  a  flashing  electric  blue-green  in  colour. 

"  We're  going  to  get  it !  "  murmured  one  of  the 
men. 

The  girls  looked  anxiously  toward  the  shores  of 
Seventh  Lake,  on  which  they  then  were.  The  water 
was  about  a  mile  in  width  here,  and  they  were  in  the 
middle. 

"  We'd  better  put  in ! "  called  the  leading  boat 
man  to  the  others.  "  I  thought  we  could  make  Hen 
derson's,  but  we  can't !  Lively  now ! " 


86          THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

It  became  darker  and  darker.  The  thunder  was 
coming  more  and  more  frequently,  and  the  darkness 
that  had  suddenly  fallen  over  the  brightness  of  the 
day  was  relieved  at  intervals  by  the  hissing  lightning. 

"  Here  it  comes  !  "  cried  one  of  the  guides. 

An  instant  later  the  lake  seemed  to  boil  with  the 
violence  of  the  rainfall.  The  girls  and  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley,  having  been  warned  in  time,  had  put  on  mackin 
toshes,  but  the  men  scorned  anything  like  that,  and 
did  not  stop  to  don  any  extra  garments. 

They  pulled  desperately  for  the  shore,  and  reached 
it  in  the  midst  of  a  driving  downpour. 

"  Over  this  way,"  directed  the  leading  guide,  as 
the  boats  grated  on  the  shore.  "  There's  a  shack 
around  here  somewhere." 

He  led  the  way,  and  a  little  later  they  all  stood 
under  a  rude  shelter  that  was  sufficiently  water-tight 
to  keep  off  most  of  the  rain.  The  things  in  the  boats 
had  been  covered  with  pieces  of  canvas. 

"  Oh !  "  screamed  Rose  as  a  particularly  vivid  flash 
and  a  crash  of  thunder  came  almost  together.  "  That 
struck  near  here !  " 

"  I  guess  it  did,  miss,"  was  the  cool  answer  of  the 
guide  called  Jimmie. 

"  Did  it  hit  a  house?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  No,  some  tree  I  reckon,"  said  the  guide  who  had 
been  addressed  as  Jake.  "  Lots  of  times  trees  get 
struck  up  here.  We  don't  mind  it  much." 

"  Shall  we  be  able  to  go  on?  "  asked  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley,  anxiously. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  87 

"  Well,  if  this  rain  lets  up  we  can,  easy,  or  we 
could  manage  to  keep  goin'  in  the  boats,  anyhow,  if 
you  didn't  mind  it,"  Jake  answered. 

"  I  think  it  will  be  better  to  wait,"  suggested 
Sylvia.  "  I  don't  like  being  on  the  lake  in  an  open 
boat  during  a  storm." 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Hazel. 

"  But  it  doesn't  seem  as  though  it  would  ever  stop," 
broke  in  Alice,  dubiously.  "  It's  raining  harder  than 
ever." 

"What  shall  we  do  if  we  can't  go  on?"  Rose 
wanted  to  know. 

"  Well,  we'll  have  to  stay  here — camp  out  or  do 
something,"  Sylvia  said.  "  You  spoke  of  a  camp, 
or  something,  near  here?  "  she  went  on  questioningly 
to  Jimmie. 

"  Yes,  miss.  There's  a  good  cabin  not  far  from 
here.  It's  hired  out  to  parties,  and  it's  well  fur 
nished.  If  that  isn't  in  use  you  can  stay  there  if 
you  don't  want  to  go  on." 

"  But  what  about  places  to  sleep,  and  things  to 
eat?  "  asked  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  That's  all  provided,  lady.  There's  grub — that 
is,  food — at  the  cabin,  and  plenty  of  beds,  such  as 
they  are.  Not  feathers,  of  course,  but " 

"  Oh,  we  don't  in  the  least  mind  roughing  it,"  put 
in  Sylvia.  "  In  fact,  I  think  it  would  be  rather  jolly 
than  otherwise." 

"  So  do  I !  "  exclaimed  Alice.  And  as  Hazel  also 
joined  in,  there  was  toothing  for  Rose  to  do  but 


88  THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

agree.  And  so,  as  the  rain  showed  no  signs  of 
slackening,  it  was  decided  to  spend  the  night  out  in 
the  little  cabin,  to  which  the  guides  offered  to  lead 
the  party.  And  a  little  later  they  set  off  through 
the  woods  in  the  downpour. 


CHAPTER  XI 
TROUBLE 

"  WHY,  this  isn't  half  bad !  " 

"  No,  indeed !    I  think  it's  real  cosy !  " 

"  And  what  a  lovely  open  fireplace !  " 

"  A  fire  wouldn't  be  at  all  out  of  the  way  now. 
I'm  thoroughly  drenched,  girls  !  " 

Our  four  friends  thus  expressed  themselves  in  turn 
as  they  stood  in  the  little  log  cabin  to  which  the 
guides  had  conducted  them  through  the  storm.  They 
could  hear  the  rain  beating  down  on  the  slab  roof, 
hear  it  pattering  on  the  leaves  of  the  trees  that  sur 
rounded  the  place,  and  they  listened  to  the  sigh  of 
the  wind  as  it  lashed  itself  to  fury  in  a  semblance  of 
a  hurricane. 

"  It's  better  than  I  expected,  my  dears,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley,  after  a  quick  survey  of  the  small  bedrooms 
opening  from  the  main  apartment. 

"  Then  we'll  stay  here  to-night,"  decided  Sylvia. 
"  That  is,  if  we  may?  "  she  added  to  the  guides. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Jimmie,  quickly.  "  You  see,  we 
have  charge  of  this  place — me  and  my  partner.  We 
let  it  out  when  any  one  wants  it,  and  it's  lucky  it 
didn't  happen  to  be  engaged  just  now.  You  can 
stay  here  and  welcome." 

89 


90          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  We'll  pay  the  usual  price,  of  course,"  said 
Sylvia,  quickly,  "  and  be  glad  of  the  opportunity. 
You  spoke  of  something  to  eat?  "  she  went  on. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  it's  pretty  well  stocked  with  canned 
stuff.  We  might  catch  a  few  fish,  even  if  it  does 
rain.  We  can  bring  up  your  things  from  the  boats, 
and  the  bunks  are  made  up  fresh." 

"  That's  a  comfort,"  sighed  the  chaperon.  "  We'll 
stay  here,  girls.  And  be  glad  of  the  opportunity. 
It  will  be  an  experience." 

"  But  won't  they  worry  at  the  Antlers  ?  "  asked 
Rose,  referring  to  the  hotel  where  they  had  engaged 
rooms  for  their  stay  at  Raquctte  Lake.  "  They  ex 
pect  us,  and  know  we  are  coming  up  the  lake.  If 
we  don't  arrive — 

"  I  guess  I  can  manage  to  telephone  'cm  by  night 
fall,"  put  in  one  of  the  guides.  "  I'll  tell  'cm  you 
are  storm-bound." 

"  Then  it  will  be  all  right,"  Rose  remarked,  with 
a  sigh  of  relief.  She  really  could  not  bear  to  think 
of  going  on  the  lake  in  the  storm. 

"  I'll  make  a  fire  on  the  hearth,"  the  chef  said, 
and  while  he  busied  himself  at  that  the  other  two 
guides  set  off  to  bring  up  the  baggage  from  the 
boats.  Mrs.  Brownlcy  and  the  girls  proceeded  to 
make  themselves  comfortable,  and  to  wait  for  the 
blaze  to  dry  some  of  their  damp  garments  and  their 
shoes. 

Tramping  along  the  wet  and  soggy  trail,  bur 
dened  with  the  baggage  from  the  boats,  the  guides 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  91 

came  back  to  the  cabin.  But  it  was  a  more  cheerful 
place  than  when  they  had  left  it,  for  now  a  fire  was 
merrily  crackling  on  the  hearth,  and  the  faces  of 
the  girls  and  that  of  Mrs.  Brownley  had  lost  much 
of  the  worried,  nervous  look.  They  were  quite  con 
tent  to  spend  the  forthcoming  night  where  they 
were. 

A  hasty  search  through  the  cabin  had  revealed  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  food,  together  with  what  was 
left  from  luncheon,  to  make  an  evening  meal  and 
breakfast.  Then,  too,  the  discovery  that  the  place 
contained  several  "  cute  "  little  bunks,  with  inviting 
sheets  and  plenty  of  coverings,  added  to  the  feeling 
of  comfort. 

The  guides  had  announced  that  there  was  another 
shanty  nearby  where  they  were  in  the  habit  of  sleep 
ing  when  stopping  in  the  woods  overnight  with  a 
party  that  occupied  the  main  cabin.  They  would 
use  the  annex  on  this  occasion. 

And  so,  with  supplies  from  their  baggage  to  draw 
on,  and  with  the  prospect  of  a  meal  whenever  they 
wanted  it,  our  friends  resigned  themselves  to  the  sit 
uation.  And  it  was  not  such  an  unpleasant  situation, 
after  all.  In  fact  it  was  really  cosy  to  listen  to  the 
crackle  of  the  fire  on  the  hearth,  and  contrast  it  with 
the  patter  of  the  rain  outside. 

Clearly  it  would  have  been  out  of  the  question  to 
have  gone  on  in  the  storm  in  open  boats.  This  they 
all  decided  when  one  of  the  guides  went  out  to  find 
the  nearest  telephone  to  communicate  with  the  Ant- 


92          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

lers.  He  managed  to  discover  one  after  an  hour  or 
two. 

By  this  time  an  early  supper  had  been  served, 
and  the  girls  and  Aunt  Theodora  prepared  to  spend 
the  evening  as  best  they  could  in  the  cabin,  for  it 
was  out  of  the  question  to  do  anything  else  than 
sit  around  and  talk. 

They  found  some  old  magazines,  but  the  lights 
were  none  of  the  best  for  reading,  so  they  gave  that 
up,  and  sat  in  front  of  the  blaze,  seeing  pictures  in 
the  flames,  and  telling  fortunes. 

The  guides  had  retired  to  their  own  cabin,  not  far 
away,  and  from  it,  now  and  then,  could  be  heard 
guffaws  of  laughter  which  served  to  relieve  the  quiet 
ness  of  the  woods,  that  was  broken,  otherwise,  by 
only  the  patter  of  the  rain. 

It  was  close  to  midnight  when  the  girls  went  to 
their  beds,  for  they  did  not  feel  sleepy,  and  preferred 
sitting  up  to  tossing  restlessly  on  the  narrow  bunks. 
They  occupied  three  rooms,  Rose  and  Sylvia  being 
in  one,  Hazel  and  Alice  in  another  and  Mrs.  Brownley 
in  the  third,  all  opening  from  the  main  apartment, 
or  living  room,  of  the  cabin. 

Just  who  first  heard  the  call  and  the  following  rap 
on  the  door  is  uncertain.  They  all  seemed  to  awaken 
at  the  same  time,  and  Sylvia  demanded: 

"  What  is  it?    Who's  there?  " 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Rose,  nervously. 

"  Some  one  outside  knocking  and  calling,"  said 
Sylvia.  "  Listen,  Rose ! " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS  93 

There  came  a  pounding  on  the  door,  and  a  voice 
called : 

"  Open  and  let  us  in.    We're  in  trouble !  " 

"  Trouble  ?  "  voiced  Sylvia,  half  frightened. 

"  Yes,  we've  lost  our  way.  There  are  ladies 
here !  " 

"  Oh,  do  let  us  in ! "  besought  a  tearful  voice  that 
was  unmistakably  feminine. 

"  What — what  shall  we  do  ?  "  faltered  Rose. 

"  Wait  a  minute !  "  came  in  the  calm  tones  of  Mrs. 
Brownley. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  MOTOR   BOAT 

THE  chaperon,  who  had  hastily  donned  a  dressing- 
gown  and  warm  slippers,  made  her  way  to  the  locked 
and  barred  door. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  turned  to  ask  Sylvia,  who,  too, 
had  arisen,  and  hastily  garbed  herself  in  whatever 
was  nearest  to  hand. 

"  Some  one  knocked,  and 

She  was  interrupted  by  the  very  thing  she  was  ex 
plaining — a  rap  on  the  stout  slab  door. 

"  Is  any  one  here?  "  a  voice  demanded.  "  We  see 
a  light,  and  there  is  a  lady  here — two  ladies  and — 

"  Oh,  please  let  me  in ! "  begged  a  half-sobbing 
voice.  "  I  am  wet  through,  we  are  lost  and — 
and " 

"  One  moment,"  Aunt  Theodora  said,  firmly. 
"  Let  the  ladies  advance,  and  the  gentlemen  retreat." 

It  was  as  though  she  had  said :  "  Advance,  friend, 
and  give  the  countersign !  " 

"  Henry,  you  go  away,"  said  a  voice  on  the  other 
side  of  the  door.  "  Suzanne  and  I  will  go  in." 

"  But  what  is  to  become  of  me?  "  was  the  answer. 
"  What  will  Ritz  and  I  do  in  this  wilderness?  " 

"  We  shall  settle  that  later,"  went  on  the  woman's 
voice.  "  Go  away.  I  understand  why  they  do  not 

94 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  95 

want  you  to  be  in  sight  when  they  open  the  door. 
There  are  ladies  in  there !  " 

"  Oh !  "  There  was  a  world  of  comprehension  in 
his  exclamation. 

"  I'm  going  to  open  the  door,"  said  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley.  "  You  ladies  are  welcome  to  such  shelter  as  we 
have.  How  many  of  you  are  there?  " 

"  Two  women  and  two  men,"  a  feminine  voice 
answered. 

"  The  two  men  will  have  to  go  elsewhere.  We  have 
only  ladies  in  here,"  said  the  chaperon,  as  she  fumbled 
with  the  fastenings  of  the  door.  Under  the  watch 
ing  eyes  of  her  own  four  young  ladies,  she  swung 
back  the  door.  A  gust  of  rainy  wind  entered,  blow 
ing  ashes  from  the  half-dying  fire  all  about.  From 
the  darkness,  into  the  mellow  glow  of  the  hearth- 
blaze  and  the  gleam  from  the  night-light,  stepped  two 
women  from  whom  dripped  much  water.  One  ap 
peared  to  be  the  mistress,  the  other  a  maid,  and  the 
former,  fairly  staggering  in,  let  fall  a  light  valise 
while,  throwing  up  her  arms  in  a  tragic  gesture,  she 
exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  what  a  honeymoon !  " 

For  a  moment  Mrs.  Brownley,  and  the  girls  as  well, 
had  a  wild  suspicion  that  they  had  admitted  a  lunatic, 
for  the  woman's  appearance  was  sufficiently  wild. 
But  a  second  glance  served  to  show  that  the  dis 
order  of  her  hair  and  clothing  was  due  to  the  storm, 
against  which  she  had  evidently  been  struggling  for 
some  time. 


96          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

Her  companion  stepped  farther  into  the  light,  and 
Mrs.  Brownley  quickly  closed  the  door.  The  maid, 
for  such  she  evidently  was,  had  a  larger  valise.  She 
gave  a  quick  glance  around,  and  a  smile  came  to  her 
face,  dimpling  her  rosy  cheeks  and  rippling  through 
her  snapping  black  eyes. 

"  Ah,  madame !  we  are  all  right  now ! "  she  cried, 
gaily  enough.  "  Suzanne  will  look  after  you,  if  these 
gracious  ladies  will  tell  us  where  to  find  a  room.  We 
are  safe  now,  madame !  " 

Once  more  the  other  woman — no,  hardly  a  woman, 
for  she  was  but  a  girl  in  years  and  appearance — 
flung  her  arms  wide  with  rather  a  stagy  effect  and 
again  cried  out: 

"  What  a  honeymoon !  " 

"  Honeymoon !  "  echoed  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  Do  you 
mean  to  say  you — 

"  Yes,  we  are  on  our  honeymoon ! "  was  the  an 
swer.  "Oh,  isn't  it — isn't  it  just — romantic!"  and 
instead  of  bursting  into  tears,  which  might  reason 
ably  have  been  expected,  she  gave  forth  a  peal  of 
laughter,  showing  two  rows  of  perfect,  white  teeth 
that  gleamed  against  the  dark  olive  tint  of  her  face, 
her  cheeks  showing  dusky  red  under  the  influence  of 
the  heat,  as  she  came  in  from  the  chilling  rain. 

"  Did  you  ever  spend  the  first  night  of  your  honey 
moon  tramping  through  the  woods  in  the  rain?  "  she 
asked,  appealing  not  only  to  Mrs.  Brownley,  but 
also  to  the  interested  girls,  now  staring  at  the  new 
comers  with  various  questions  in  their  eyes. 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS  97 

" 1  never  did,"  said  the  chaperon,  with  the  accent 
on  the  personal  pronoun,  "  and  as  for  my 
friends " 

"  They  are  not  married — I  understand.  But,  oh ! 
You  must  think  we  are  crazy  to  come  in  on  you  in 
the  middle  of  the  night.  Let  me  explain." 

But  before  she  could  do  so  there  came  another 
knock  on  the  door,  and  a  man's  voice,  an  anxious 
man's  voice,  demanded: 

"Are  you  all  right,  Natalie?  Can  you  remain 
there  for  the  night?  Are  you  comfortable?  " 

"  It's  my  husband ! "  she  spoke  the  words  with  an 
embarrassed  little  laugh.  "  He — he " 

"  He  can  stay  with  the  guides,  over  in  the  other 

cabin,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.    "  We  can  put  you  and 
er » 

She  hesitated. 

"  Suzanne  is  my  maid,"  filled  in  the  bride,  Natalie. 

"  We  can  give  you  a  room,  you  and  your  maid," 
went  on  the  chaperon.  "  And  if  you  are  hun 
gry " 

"  I  am — famished.  We've  been  lost  in  the  woods 
— oh,  ever  so  long !  Bob  doesn't  know  a  thing  about 
the  woods,  nor  do  I,  though  he  thinks  he  does  because 
he  went  camping  once,"  and  she  laughed  merrily,  as 
though  it  were  a  great  joke — all  of  it,  rain  included. 
"  So  we  got  lost  when  he  insisted  on  making  the  trip 
up  the  lakes  without  a  guide,"  she  went  on.  "  He 
has  his  man  with  him — the  man  and  Suzanne  are 
engaged,"  she  added,  "so  you  see  we  are  quite  a 


98          THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

wedding  party.  But,  oh,  what  a  way  to  spend  a 
honeymoon !  "  and  again  she  laughed. 

"  Isn't  she  sweet?  "  whispered  Rose  to  Sylvia. 

"  She's  a  bit  hysterical,  I  think." 

"  Oh,  Sylvia,  how  can  you?  " 

"  I  mean  she's  a  bunch  of  nerves,  and  no  wonder, 
after  what  she  has  had  to  go  through,"  Sylvia  re 
torted.  "  Poor  thing,  we  must  get  her  warm  and 
dry,  and  make  her  some  tea.  I'll  get  on  some  real 
clothes." 

"  So  will  I." 

Again  came  the  summons  at  the  portal. 

"  Are  you  quite  all  right,  Natalie?  " 

"  Yes,  Bob,  dear !  "  She  whispered  the  last  against 
the  wood  of  the  unsympathetic  door,  and  turned  a 
blushing  face  to  those  in  the  cabin.  "  I  am  perfectly 
all  right.  It  is  a  charming  place.  I  hope  you  find 
as  good.  You  couldn't  possibly  come  in  here.  It  is 
entirely — out — of — the  question !  "  and  she  laughed 
merrily. 

"  I  don't  mind,  sweetheart,  as  long  as  you  are  all 
right,  and  have  Suzanne  with  you.  I  can  sleep  in 
the  woods." 

"  Oh,  Bob !  " 

"He  won't  have  to4."  said  Mrs.  Brownley,  prac 
tically.  "  The  guides  will  look  after  him  and  his 
man.  Now  then,  Miss — 

"  Mrs.  Parson,"  was  the  correction.  "  Since  this 
morning — or  was  it  yesterday — I've  lost  track  of  the 
time." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS  99 

"  It's  morning  now,"  Alice  said,  with  a  glance  at 
her  watch. 

"  Then  it  is  since  yesterday.  Oh,  but  it  is  so  sweet 
of  you  to  take  us  in  this  way !  Bob,  you're  to  go  to 
the  guides'  tent,  or  cabin  or  whatever  it  is,"  she  called 
through  the  door. 

"  All  right,  they're  here  now,  at  least  some  men 
are  calling  to  me  to  come  to  them,"  Bob  said.  "  I 
dare  say  I  shall  be  all  right.  Good  night,  dear ! " 
The  last  was  whispered. 

"  Good  night,"  she  blew  a  kiss  from  the  tips  of 
her  dainty  fingers.  "  He  is  such  a  dear  boy ! "  she 
added,  but  it  was  not  said  in  the  least  gushingly. 

"  Well,  better  get  on  some  dry  clothes,  if  you  have 
them,"  said  the  chaperon,  as  outside  the  cabin  could 
be  heard  the  tramp  of  feet  and  the  voices  of  the 
guides  as  they  took  charge  of  the  other  wayfarers. 
"  If  you  haven't " 

"  Oh,  we  have,  thank  you,  plenty.     Suzanne !  " 

Mrs.  Parson  seemed  to  be  used  to  being  waited 
on,  and  her  maid  took  from  the  valise  some  dry  gar 
ments,  and  retired  with  Natalie,  as  the  girls  liked 
to  think  of  her,  to  the  other  bedroom.  She  presently 
came  into  the  main  apartment,  clad  in  a  gorgeous 
Japanese  kimono,  with  heavy  gold  butterflies  and 
cranes  scattered  profusely  over  it. 

"  I'll  have  tea  in  a  minute,"  Sylvia  said,  lighting 
the  little  alcohol  stove. 

"  I  beg  of  you  to  let  me  do  it,"  Suzanne  said.  "  I 
am  used  to  this." 


100        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Yes,  Suzanne  will  make  it,"  said  the  bride. 
"  Then  I'll  tell  you  all  that  happened.  You  must 
think  we  are  a  couple  of  loons  to  come  to  you  in 
this  way." 

"  Indeed  we  are  refugees  ourselves,"  said  Sylvia. 
"  We  were  caught  in  the  storm  on  our  way  to 
Raquette  Lake  and  had  to  come  here." 

"Oh,  are  you  going  to  Raquette  Lake?  That's 
where  we  are  going  to  stop — at  the  Antlers !  " 

"  So  are  we !  "  chimed  in  Rose. 

In  a  moment  it  was  as  though  they  all  had  known 
the  bride  for  some  time.  She  was  a  charming  person, 
democratic,  though  refined,  and  she  soon  sketched 
for  them  as  much  of  her  history  as  was  necessary 
to  divulge  under  the  circumstances. 

She  had  been  often  to  the  Adirondacks  before  with 
her  parents  and,  not  wanting  the  usual  honeymoon, 
had  stipulated  that  after  the  ceremony  she  and  her 
young  husband  should  be  allowed  to  slip  away  to  the 
lake  region,  where  she  had  spent  so  many  happy 
years. 

"  And  it  would  have  been  all  right  but  for  the 
rain,  and  if  Bob  had  been  content  to  take  a  guide. 
But  he  wouldn't,"  she  said. 

"  Consequently,  when  the  rain  came  and  we  went 
ashore  with  the  canoe,  we  lost  our  bearings.  I  simply 
would  not  go  back  in  the  boats,  and  so  we  started 
out  through  the  forest.  We  carried  our  luggage, 
with  the  help  of  Suzanne  and  Ritz,  but  at  last  we 
could  go  no  farther.  Then  we  saw  your  light  and — 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         101 

well,  here  we  are ! "  she  finished,  with  a  pathetic  little 
gesture  of  her  hands. 

"  And  very  welcome,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  We 
can  all  go  on  together  in  the  morning." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  perfectly  splendid.  I  just  love 
company ! " 

"  Even  on  a  honeymoon  ?  "  asked  Sylvia,  with  a 
sly  smile. 

"  Even  on  a  honeymoon.  Bob  does,  too.  He's 
such  a  dear  boy — a  regular  boy!  "  and  she  laughed 
merrily.  Somehow  it  was  good  to  hear  Natalie 
laugh. 

"  The  tea  is  ready,"  Suzanne  said.  "  Will  you 
not  all  have  some?  "  she  asked,  for  deftly  she  had 
found  cups  and  saucers,  the  condensed  milk  and 
sugar,  and  set  them  out. 

"  I'll  not  sleep  a  wink  if  I  take  tea  now,"  Mrs. 
Brownley  said.  "  There  is  some  malted  milk  in  my 
bag.  I'll  just  make  a  hot  cup  of  that  and " 

"  Permit  me,  madame  !  "  interposed  the  maid.  "  I 
shall  have  the  pleasure,"  and  she  began  making  the 
beverage  for  the  chaperon. 

There  came  another  knock  on  the  door,  as  the  tea 
was  being  sipped,  and  a  voice  demanded : 

"  Are  you  sure  you  are  all  right,  Natalie  ?  " 

"  Quite,  Bob !  Go  away  now,  that's  a  dear.  Are 
you  provided  for  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  have  a  bunk  and  the  men  are  making 
coffee  and  frying  bacon !  " 

"  Ugh !     Bacon  at  this   hour  of  the  morning ! " 


102         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

gasped  the  bride,  with  a  shrug  of  her  pretty  shoul 
ders.  "  There,  Bob,  run  along,"  she  advised. 

Somehow  the  girls,  their  chaperon  and  the  bride, 
with  her  maid,  got  back  to  their  beds,  but  it  is  safe 
to  assume  that  no  one  slept  much  more  that  night. 
In  the  morning  the  rain  had  ceased,  and  though  the 
woods  were  very  wet,  there  was  a  promise  of  their 
speedy  drying,  for  the  sun  rose  bright  and  warm. 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  just  glorious ! "  cried  Natalie,  as  she 
stood  in  the  doorway  and  waved  her  hand  toward 
the  guides'  camp.  "  I  wouldn't  have  missed  this  ex 
perience  for  anything.  It  is  one  honeymoon  of  a 
thousand ! " 

"  I  hope  she  doesn't  intend  to  have  that  many," 
remarked  Hazel,  who  was  a  bit  peevish.  She  could 
not  stand  the  loss  of  sleep.  It  made  her  cross,  as  it 
does  some  babies.  But  she  was  soon  herself  again. 

Bob  and  his  wife  proved  the  most  delightful  of 
acquaintances.  He  was  in  fine  spirits,  even  following 
the  rather  depressing  experience  of  the  night  before, 
and  after  breakfast  it  was  arranged  that  the  two 
parties  should  go  on  to  Raquette  Lake  together. 

"  I'm  going  to  take  no  more  chances  of  being  lost 
in  the  woods,"  said  the  bridegroom. 

"  You  learn  your  first  lessons  well,"  observed  Mrs. 
Brownley. 

"  Oh,  but  I  didn't  in  the  least  mind  being  lost !  " 
laughed  Natalie.  "  See  what  charming  friends  it 
brought  us,  Bob." 

"  Indeed  I  would  do  it  over  again  if  I  had  the 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS          103 

chance,"  he  said,  gallantly,  bowing  to  the  girls  and 
Aunt  Theodora. 

"  I  like  him !  "  whispered  Rose  to  Sylvia. 

"  You  mustn't !  "  was  the  caution. 

"  Not  enough  liking  to  work  harm,"  was  the  laugh 
ing  retort. 

Once  more  they  were  on  their  way  up  Seventh 
Lake.  The  carry  was  successfully  made,  and  then 
came  the  trip  of  a  little  over  a  mile  on  the  final 
body  of  water  in  the  Fulton  Chain. 

A  land  journey  of  a  mile  and  a  half  brought  our 
friends  to  Brown's  Tract  Inlet  and  in  due  time  they 
were  floating  on  the  beautiful  waters  of  Raquette 
Lake,  over  which  they  were  rowed  to  the  village  itself, 
at  the  terminal  of  the  Raquette  Lake  Railroad. 

The  Antlers,  about  a  mile  from  the  railroad  sta 
tion,  was  soon  reached,  and  there  our  friends  and 
the  bridal  party  were  made  doubly  welcome,  for  there 
had  been  not  a  little  worriment  on  the  part  of  some 
friends  of  the  latter  who  expected  them,  but  to  whom 
no  word  could  be  sent. 

"  How  long  are  you  going  to  stay  here,  my 
dears?  "  asked  Natalie,  who  was  made  almost  one  of 
the  Nowadays  Girls. 

"  It  is  uncertain,"  Sylvia  said.  "  We  are  grad 
ually  making  our  way  to  Saranac,  where  my  brother 
is  ill." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry !  " 

"  But  he  is  doing  as  well  as  can  be  expected,  so 
we  are  not  hurryjng." 


104        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  I  see.  You  are  getting  in  as  many  experiences 
as  you  can,  for  that  quaint  little  club  of  yours.  It 
is  such  a  clever  idea,  my  dears !  Positively  I  intend 
to  adopt  something  like  it  myself  when  I  get  back. 
I  am  so  glad  you  are  going  to  stay  here.  Do  you 
golf?  » 

"  They  do  everything.  I've  found  out  all  about 
it !  "  interrupted  Bob  Parson.  "  They  tennis,  fish, 
motor — 

"Oh,  do  you  motor?"  interrupted  Natalie.  "I 
mean  boat,  of  course,  for  the  roads  aren't  anything 
to  boast  of  up  here.  I  do  wish  we  could  arrange  for 
a  motor-boat  trip." 

"  I  think  we  can,"  Sylvia  said. 

"  How  ?  "  asked  Alice.  "  First  we've  heard  about 
that,  El  Capitan!  "  and  she  stiffly  saluted,  military 
fashion. 

"  I've  just  been  talking  it  over  with  Aunt  Theo 
dora,"  Sylvia  went  on.  "  I  saw  a  lovely  motor  boat 
out  on  the  lake  and  inquired  about  it.  Seems  that  it 
was  engaged  by  a  party  and  they  had  to  give  it  up 
on  account  of  a  change  of  plan.  So  it's  for  hire 
and  I've  planned  to  engage  it  for  a  week  at  least, 
and  two  if  we  want  it." 

"  Oh,  you  dear !  "  cried  Rose.  "  To  think  of  mo 
toring  for  a  week  on  this  lovely  lake ! " 

"  When  may  we  start?  "  Hazel  wanted  to  know. 

"  As  soon  as  we  like.  Aunt  Theodora  has  prac 
tically  agreed,  if  we  can  find  a  reliable  man  to  take 
with  us." 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS          105 

"  At  your  service ! "  said  Mr.  Parson,  with  an  ex 
aggerated  bow. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  motor  boats  ?  " 
demanded  Natalie,  rather  suspiciously  for  a  "  newly- 
wed."  "  The  last  time  I  was  out  with  you " 

"  De  mortuis  nil  nisi  bonum!  "  he  said,  softly. 

"  Oh !  "  gasped  Rose,  "  did  some  one " 

"  The  boat  died,"  he  replied.  "  I  ran  it  into  a  pier 
and  it  sank.  But  I  do  know  something  about  motors." 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  that  so  much,"  Sylvia  put  in ;  "  I  think 
Aunt  Theodora  wants  a  man  along  just  for  looks!" 

"  Once  more,  at  your  service,"  bowed  Mr.  Parson. 
Even  Alice,  who  was,  perhaps,  hypercritical,  admitted 
that  he  was  good-looking. 

"  Then  let's  make  up  a  motor-boating  party,"  pro 
posed  Natalie.  "  My  husband  and  I  will  be  charmed 
to  go  with  you  girls.  Can  you  run  a  boat?  Of 
course  you  can,"  she  answered  her  own  question 
promptly. 

"  We  have,"  said  Hazel,  modestly.  Indeed  all  four 
were  experienced  in  boats  as  well  as  in  automobiles. 

"  Come  down  and  see  the  Clytie"  suggested  Sylvia. 
"She's  a  beauty!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

BY  THEMSELVES 

THE  motor  boat  was  made  fast  to  a  small  private 
dock  which  stretched  out  into  Raquette  Lake.  Sit 
ting  in  the  craft,  as  the  girls  and  their  newly  wed 
friends,  the  Parson  bride  and  groom,  approached, 
was  a  man  of  sour,  not  to  say  forbidding  counte 
nance.  He  was  whittling  a  stick,  snipping  the  curling 
pieces  of  wood  off  with  a  formidable-looking  knife, 
and  letting  them  fall  into  the  placid  waters  of  the 
lake,  whence  they  were  blown  away  by  little  puffs  of 
wind. 

"  Who  is  he?  "  asked  Rose  of  Sylvia  in  a  whisper 
as  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  dock  and  looked 
with  longing  eyes — all  four  of  the  Nowadays  Girls — 
at  the  boat. 

"  He's  the  skipper,  caretaker,  pilot,  captain,  what 
ever  is  the  proper  title  for  a  man  in  his  capacity  on 
a  motor  boat." 

"  He  looks  like  Charon,"  murmured  Alice. 

"  Hush !  He'll  hear  you,  and  he's  very  sensitive," 
admonished  Sylvia. 

"  Do  you  know  him?  "  Hazel  wanted  to  know. 

"  I've  talked  with  him.  Don't  you  dare  call  him 
Charon,  Alice.  He'll  begin  inquiring  who  Mr.  Charon 

106 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         107 

was,  and  when  we  explain  that  he  was  the  dog-faced 
ferryman  of  the  underworld,  why  then  he'll  up  and 
act  mean.  So  don't  make  such  allusions,  if  you  are 
wise." 

"  Charon  wasn't  dog-faced,"  announced  Hazel. 

"  Wasn't  he  ?  At  any  rate  he  wasn't  a  desirable 
acquaintance  for  a  summer  motor-boat  cruise,  so 
kindly  cease  to  remember." 

*'  In  other  words — forget  it !  "  exclaimed  Rose. 

"  What  are  you  girls  talking  about  ?  "  demanded 
Natalie,  with  one  of  her  merry  laughs. 

"  Oh,  just  nonsense!  "  said  Sylvia.  "  But  how  do 
you  like  the  boat?  " 

"  It's  a  beauty !  "  exclaimed  Alice,  with  sparkling 
eyes. 

"  And  so  complete !  "  declared  Hazel.  "  May  we 
really  charter  her?  " 

"  I  think  it  can  be  arranged,"  Sylvia  answered. 
"  We'll  go  aboard." 

Meanwhile  the  sour-faced  man  was  stolidly  whit 
tling  away  on  the  piece  of  soft  pine  wood.  He 
seemed  to  put  a  deal  of  vindictiveness  into  his  cuts 
and  slashes,  as  though  he  were  taking  revenge  on  some 
enemy. 

"  Good  morning,"  called  Mistress  Sylvia,  with  a 
bright  and  cheerful  smile,  while  her  companions,  in 
cluding  the  bride  and  groom,  formed  a  little  group 
back  of  her.  "  A  beautiful  day,  isn't  it?  " 

"  For  them  as  likes  this  weather,"  was  the  growled 
response,  and  the  man  never  looked  up,  but  went  on 


108        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

whittling.  Rose  saw  that  he  was  cutting  out  a  dagger 
— prophetic  implement,  perhaps. 

"  Oh,  I  think  it's  perfectly  delightful,"  went  on 
Sylvia. 

"  You  do  have  such  charming  days  up  in  the  Adi- 
rondacks,"  added  Alice,  determined  to  do  what  she 
could  to  help  Sylvia  chase  away  the  gloom  from  the 
dour  one's  countenance,  for  such,  so  Alice  made  a 
guess,  was  the  intent  of  her  chum. 

"  The  sunshine  is — er — so— «r — sunshiny !  "  said 
Rose,  a  bit  lamely. 

"  And  the  water  is  so  wet ! "  finished  Hazel,  wifh 
a  frank  laugh. 

The  man  looked  up,  for  the  first  time,  and  grunted : 

"Ugh!" 

"How  are  you  this  morning,  Mr.  Wrack?"  went 
on  Sylvia. 

"  Oh,  'bout  as  well  as  I'll  ever  be,  I  expect,"  he 
said,  dismally.  "  This  bright  sun  hurts  my  eyes,  and 
I'll  be  havin'  hay-fever  soon,  I  expect,  which  is  one 
reason  why  I  like  rainy  days  best.  The  dust  from 
the  flowers  don't  fly  so  then,  and  I  don't  have  to 
sneeze  so  often.  But  now,  havin'  to  stay  here  with 
this  boat  until  the  land  knows  when,  I  don't  know 
what  will  happen,"  and  once  more  he  cut  savagely 
at  the  bit  of  wood,  making  the  shavings  fly. 

"  That's  what  we  came  to  see  you  about,"  said 
Sylvia,  sweetly.  "  We  are  thinking  of  hiring  it." 

'*  You  be  ?  Good !  "  The  man  seemed  to  undergo 
a  Jekyll-Hyde  transformation.  His  face  lost  the  sour 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS          109 

look,  and  he  straightened  up,  throwing  the  half- 
completed  dagger  overboard.  "  I  hope  you  do,"  he 
went  on.  "  Since  the  party  that  did  engage  her  dis 
appointed  me  I  haven't  known  what  to  turn  my  hand 
to.  Will  you  really  take  her?  " 

"  If  we  can  come  to  terms,"  said  Sylvia.  "  Our 
chaperon  says  we  may  plan  a  motor-boat  trip.  I 
have  told  her  of  the  Clytie,  and  now  we  have  come  to 
see  about  it." 

"  Oh,  I'll  treat  you  right,  lady.  I'll  treat  you 
right !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Wrack.  He  seemed  a  different 
person. 

It  developed,  that  he  was  not  the  owner  of  the 
craft,  but  had  been  engaged  to  pilot  it  about  Raquette 
Lake  for  a  party  of  summer  visitors,  who  chartered 
the  boat  from  the  owner,  who  had  engaged  Mr. 
Wrack.  But  the  plans  of  the  party  could  not  be 
carried  out,  for  a  reason  that  would  not  interest  us, 
and  there  was  the  prospect  of  the  boat's  being  idle 
all  summer. 

"  And  I'd  have  been  idle  too,"  Mr.  Wrack  said, 
"  for  it's  gettin'  late  in  the  season  to  hire  out  a  motor 
boat  and  pilot  to  any  advantage.  But  if  you'll  take 
her  and  me  it  won't  be  so  bad.  I'll  make  the  price 
right.  Mr.  Harrison,  who  owns  the  Clytie,  left  her 
to  me  after  them  other  folks  backed  out." 

Sylvia  and  her  girl  chums  were  very  practical  if 
they  were  girls  with  the  latest  ideas  in  regard  to 
fashion,  dances  and  other  amusements.  They  had 
liberal  allowances,  and  they  knew  how  to  make  them 


110        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

cover  their  needs.  So  it  was  not  long  before  they 
had  struck  a  bargain  with  Mr.  Wrack.  Aunt  Theo 
dora  was  again  consulted  and  gave  her  consent,  and 
it  was  arranged  that  they  were  to  have  the  entire 
use  of  the  boat  for  two  weeks  at  least,  and  longer 
if  they  desired. 

The  Parsons  were  included  in  this  bargain,  and  as 
they  were  to  remain  at  Raquette  Lake  until  late  fall 
they  had  an  option  on  the  craft  after  our  friends 
should  have  finished  with  her. 

"  And  you  go  with  the  boat,"  said  Sylvia  to  the 
sour-faced  man,  sour  no  longer  now  that  he  realised 
he  would  have  employment.  He  did  not  even  men 
tion  hay-fever,  and  he  looked  at  the  sun  occasionally. 
"  What  I  mean,"  went  on  Sylvia,  "  is  that  you'll  run 
the  boat  for  us  when  we  want  you  to,  and  when  we 
don't,  we'll  run  it  ourselves." 

"  Can  you  ?  "  asked  the  pilot,  doubtingly. 

"  Try  us  and  see !  "  exclaimed  Alice. 

"  Let's  go  for  a  run  in  her,"  suggested  Hazel. 

And  so  they  started  off.  The  girls'  admiration 
for  the  Clytie  increased  as  they  made  a  closer  in 
spection. 

"  She  certainly  is  a  beauty !  "  declared  Rose. 

"  Indeed,  yes !  "  agreed  Sylvia.  "  Self-starter, 
reverse  gear,  double  ignition  system,  weedless  pro 
peller,  electric  lights  and  lots  of  room." 

"  Why,  we  could  sleep  here  and  cook  here,"  added 
Alice. 

There   was   a   half-cabin,   with   bunks    that   made 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS          111 

seats  during  the  day.  There  was  also  a  little  alcohol 
stove  and  a  tiny  galley  fitted  with  a  small  collection 
of  cooking  utensils. 

"  She  was  built  to  allow  folks  to  spend  a  night 
or  two  out  in  her,"  said  Mr.  Wrack,  as  he  sat  at  the 
wheel. 

"  Let  me  steer,"  begged  Sylvia,  and,  having  ex 
plained  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  lake,  and 
what  danger-spots  to  avoid,  the  pilot  did  so.  The 
Clytie  was  of  very  light  draught,  to  enable  her  to 
go  in  shallow  water. 

By  turns  the  four  girls  operated  the  boat  around 
the  sunny  waters  of  the  lake,  running  over  to  Big 
Island  and  back  again.  Mr.  Parson  also  showed 
that  he  knew  how  to  handle  the  craft,  but  Natalie 
showed  no  desire  to  do  so. 

"  I'd  be  sure  to  turn  the  wheel  the  wrong  way,  and 
send  you  all  to  the  bottom,"  she  declared. 

"  The  bottom  isn't  far  off  right  here,"  observed 
Mr.  Wrack.  "  It's  mighty  shallow  hereabouts." 

The  Nowadays  Girls  proved  that  they  could  man 
age  a  boat,  to  the  not  unexacting  requirements 
of  the  pilot,  after  which  he  "  took  it  easy  "  and  let 
them  do  as  they  liked.  They  soon  mastered  the  me 
chanical  details. 

A  day  or  so  after  having  chartered  the  Clytie, 
during  which  time  Mrs.  Brownley  had  made  several 
trips  about  the  lake,  Sylvia  proposed  that  she  and 
her  chums,  with  the  Parsons,  go  for  a  trip  by  them 
selves — that  is,  without  Mr.  Wrack. 


112         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

He  was  satisfied  to  allow  this,  as  he  realised  that 
the  girls  were  expert  enough  to  look  after  them 
selves.  So  the  trip — an  all-day  one,  lunch  to  be 
taken  on  Osprey  Island — was  planned. 

But  at  the  last  minute  Aunt  Theodora  developed 
a  headache,  which,  she  well  knew,  would  not  be  bene 
fited  by  going  out  on  the  water  in  the  sun. 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  too  bad ! "  exclaimed  Sylvia. 
"  Then " 

"  Yes,  you  may  go,  my  dears,"  said  their  kindly 
chaperon.  "  I  know  you  can  look  after  yourselves, 
and  it's  broad  daylight.  There  are  many  craft  on 
the  lake,  too.  Just  run  along  and  have  a  good  time. 
I'll  be  all  right.  I'll  just  lie  down  and  rest." 

And  when  Sylvia  went  to  call  for  the  Parsons, 
Natalie  had  most  unaccountably  forgotten  the  en 
gagement,  and  she  and  her  husband  had  gone  off 
together  in  a  canoe. 

"  Well,  did  you  ever ! "  exclaimed  Rose. 

"  Let's  go  by  ourselves,"  suggested  Hazel. 

"  We  could  get  Mr.  Wrack,"  said  Alice,  hesi 
tatingly. 

"  No,  I  told  him  we  wouldn't  need  him,  and  he 
went  over  to  Forked  Lake  to  see  some  friends.  So 
if  we  go,  we'll  have  to  go  by  ourselves." 

"Then  let's  go  that  way — just  ourselves!"  pro 
posed  Aljce.  "  We  have  the  boat,  the  lunch  and 
everything.  Let's  go,  and  perhaps  we  may  have  an 
adventure ! " 


CHAPTER   XIV 

A  DISMAL  PROSPECT 

CHEERFULLY  chugging  along  was  the  Clytie.  I  say 
cheerfully,  for  the  rhythmical  sounds  of  the  exhaust, 
gentle  enough  in  themselves  thanks  to  a  good  muf 
fler,  were  accompanied  by  snatches  of  song  from  one 
or  another  of  the  four  girls  who  variously  placed 
themselves  about  the  craft.  Sylvia  was  at  the  wheel. 
Rose  lolled  on  a  locker  near  her,  regardless  of  the 
sun  that  was  adding  a  tint  of  brown  to  the  red  in 
her  cheeks.  Alice  had  sought  the  seclusion  of  the 
cabin  for  a  time,  to  readjust  her  wind-blown  hair, 
and  Hazel  was  boldly  perched  well  up  in  the  bow, 
sitting  tailor-fashion,  like  some  modern  figurehead. 
She  laughed  gleefully  when  spray  splashed  up  from 
the  waves  into  her  face. 

"  Oh,  it  is  glorious !  glorious ! "  she  chanted  in 
time  to  the  throb  of  the  motor. 

"Watch-girl,  what  of  the  outlook?"  called  Alice 
from  the  cabin.  "  Dost  see  anything  of  that  ad 
venture  yet  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Hazel.  "  I  see  a  canoe  with 
two  young  men  in  it  approaching,  but  they  don't 
look  at  all  romantic." 

"  Sheer  off !  Sheer  off,  Sylvia !  "  ordered  Rose, 
113 


114        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  We  are  dedicated  to  romance  with  a  big  R  to-day. 
Nothing  else  will  tempt  us." 

"  I'd  rather  have  a  sandwich  with  a  big  S,"  said 
the  steers-girl — or  let  us  be  real  feminists  and  say 
steersman. 

"You  did  put  the  lunch  aboard;  didn't  you?" 
asked  Rose,  a  "  horrible  suspicion  gnawing  at  her 
vitals,"  as  she  confessed  afterward. 

"  It  is  in  the  starboard  locker,"  affirmed  Sylvia. 

"  Right  O,  my  hearty !  "  sung  out  Hazel.  "  I  saw 
you  put  it  there !  " 

And  so  they  chugged  on,  now  and  then  saluting 
some  other  craft,  canoe  or  guide-boat,  and  an  occa 
sional  motor  boat,  but  the  latter  were  rather  few. 
Steamers  plied  the  waters  of  Raquette  Lake,  and 
they  answered  the  three  tooting  whistles  of  our  girls 
in  friendly  salute. 

"  Alice,  just  look  and  see  if  the  oil  cups  are  full," 
begged  Sylvia,  as  they  worked  successfully  through 
a  little  swell  and  wash  raised  by  a  passing  steamer. 
"  I  think  the  engine  is  getting  too  much,  judging  by 
the  odour  of  the  exhaust.  If  they're  more  than  half 
empty  screw  down  the  feed  a  bit." 

"  Aye,  aye,  captain ! "  came  the  nautical  return, 
and  presently  Alice,  who  had  inspected  the  engine, 
carried  in  a  forward  compartment,  reported  that  she 
had  refilled  the  cups,  and  adjusted  them  so  they 
would  not  feed  too  much  lubricant  to  the  cylinders. 

Then  she  filled  a  tiny  wash  basin  in  the  cabin,  and 
washed  her  hands  with  violet-scented  soap. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         115 

"  I  can't  bear  the  smell  of  oil  when  I'm  going  to 
eat,"  she  said,  in  explanation. 

"  But  you're  not  going  to  eat  right  away,  my 
dear,"  said  Sylvia.  "  We  aren't  going  to  have  lunch 
until  we  get  to  Osprey  Island,  and  that  won't  be 
until  noon."  For  they  had  gone  in  rather  a  round 
about  way,  passing  on  the  far  side  of  Big  Island  to 
make  the  trip  seem  more  worth  while. 

"  Oh,  well,  I'm  ready  for  lunch  whenever  it's  ready 
for  me,"  Alice  said,  as  she  pushed  back  the  skin  from 
the  half-moons  on  her  shapely  fingers,  thus  manicur 
ing  them,  though  they  seldom  needed  it. 

The  girls  took  turns  at  the  wheel,  for  each  one 
was  experienced  in  this.  The  Clytie  was  a  perfect 
boat,  and  answered  her  helm  well. 

"  It  would  have  been  nice  if  Natalie  and  her  hus 
band  had  come  along,"  said  Rose.  "  I  do  enjoy  her 
so  much." 

"  He's  nice,  too,"  added  Alice. 

"  Of  course." 

"  But  it's  nice  to  be  by  ourselves,  once  in  a  while," 
suggested  Sylvia.  "  I  wonder  how  we  are  living  up 
to  our  canons,  girls?  "  she  asked. 

"  You  mean — up-to-dateness  ?  "  questioned  Hazel. 

"  Exactly." 

"  Well,  I  think  we  can't  be  found  fault  with,"  was 
the  opinion  of  Hazel.  "  There  is  certainly  nothing 
slow  about  this  !  " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  it  that  way,"  said  Sylvia, 
hastily.  "  Speed  isn't  everything." 


116         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  It  is  when  one  is  motoring  or  boating,"  declared 
Hazel. 

"  A  pity  we  couldn't  run  our  cars  up  here,"  put 
in  Alice,  for  there  were  automobiles  in  the  family 
of  each  of  our  friends — more  than  one  in  some  cases 
— and  the  girls  were  expert  drivers. 

"  This  is  no  place  for  cars,"  affirmed  Sylvia. 
"  Perhaps  on  our  outing  next  season  we  may  go 
where  we  can  use  them." 

"  Or  to  some  place  where  we  can  have  a  motor 
boat  of  our  own,"  put  in  Alice.  "  Wouldn't  that  be 
just  lovely?  To  have  a  craft  of  our  own,  and  go  on 
a  long  cruise !  " 

"  It  would,"  assented  Rose.  "  But  this  is  very 
nice,  and  remember  that  this  is  our  first  outing.  Do 
you  intend  to  do  this  every  year,  Sylvia?  "  she  con 
tinued. 

"  If  we  can,  yes.  Of  course  we  can't  tell  what 
new  friends  and  associations  we  may  meet  with  when 
we  start  in  at  the  different  colleges  fhis  fall,  but  I 
think  we  shall  be  able  to  keep  to  our  original  plan, 
and  have  a  *  get-together '  session  every  summer  to 
talk  over  nowadays  matters,  and  take  our  part  in 
them." 

"  Bravo !  "  cried  Hazel.  "  No  new  college  friend 
ship  shall  lure  me  away  from  this,  my  first  love — 
or,  rather,  my  three  best  loves,"  and  she  pointed  her 
finger  in  turn  at  each  of  her  chums. 

"  Is  Saranac  Lake  like  this  ?  "  asked  Rose,  and 
immediately  she  blushed. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACK^         117 

"  Oh,  look  at  her ! "  cried  Alice,  tantalisingly. 
"  She  can't  stop  thinking  of  Roy  even  now." 

"  I  don't  want  to,"  answered  Rose,  more  coolly 
than  one  would  think  from  the  way  she  looked. 

"  Good !  "  Sylvia  complimented  her.  "  Dear  Roy ! 
I  do  hope  he  is  making  progress.  I  ought  to  get 
a  letter  or  telegram  to-day.  I  expect  it  when  we  get 
back." 

"  There  are  three  Saranac  Lakes,"  said  Hazel,  who 
had  apparently  been  "  reading-up  "  on  the  subject. 
"  They  are  Upper,  Middle  and  Lower.  But  none 
of  them,  at  least  to  look  at  on  the  map,  is  as  large 
as  this  one,  though  Upper  Saranac  has  a  very  long 
shore  line,  because  it  is  so  cut  up  and  twisted.  There 
is  about  forty  miles  of  shore  line  here  at  Raquette." 

"  This  lake  suits  me,"  murmured  Alice,  in  lazy 
comfort. 

"  Oh,  but  I'm  sure  we'll  find  Saranac  lovely,"  Hazel 
went  on.  "  It's  about  fifty  miles  from  here,  and  they 
say  there  are  more  than  sixty  other  lakes  and  ponds 
which  can  be  reached  by  short  canoe  trips  from 
Saranac,  that  is,  the  upper  lake,  which,  of  the  three, 
is  the  one  nearest  us." 

"  It  must  be  pretty  wet  there,"  ventured  Sylvia. 

"  It  is,  more  water  than  land.  I  wish  we  could 
take  the  Clytie  up  there,  but  I  don't  suppose  we  can. 
Roy  would  appreciate  this." 

"  No,  it's  hardly  feasible.  We  couldn't  carry  her 
over  land,"  Sylvia  said. 

"Just  where  is  Roy?  "  asked  Hazel. 


118        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  At  the  Loneberg  Camp,  not  far  from  Saranac 
Inn.  Oh,  I  am  so  anxious  to  see  him,"  his  sister 
went  on,  "  and  yet  I  don't  want  to  get  there  too 
soon,  for  if  he  is  on  the  verge  of  recovery  the  doctor 
said  it  might  give  him  a  setback  to  have  the  sudden 
joyful  surprise  of  seeing  us  girls." 

"  Yes,  we're  beautiful  enough,  collectively,  if  not 
individually,  to  make  a  well  youth  faint,  to  say 
nothing  of  an  invalid,"  declared  Alice,  with  dry 
humour. 

"  Well,  let's  enjoy  life  while  we  may,"  suggested 
Sylvia.  "  Poor  Roy !  "  and  she  sighed.  "  I  hope  he 
is  having  a  good  time." 

But,  had  she  only  known  it,  Roy  was  having  any 
thing  but  a  pleasant  time  just  then.  He  was  not  at 
all  himself. 

Osprey  Island  was  reached  in  due  season,  and 
finding  a  secluded  spot,  the  girls  moored  their  boat, 
went  ashore  and  had  lunch.  Tea  was  made  over 
the  alcohol  stove  on  board,  and  they  sat  about  in  the 
shadowy  woods  in  delightful  picnic  fashion. 

"  Let's  take  a  run  over  to  Indian  Point,"  sug 
gested  Hazel,  when  the  lunch  was  over,  and  they  were 
thinking  of  starting  back  toward  the  hotel. 

"  Shall  we  have  time?  "  asked  Sylvia,  with  a  glance 
at  the  sun,  which  was  already  well  down  in  the  west. 

"  Oh,  it's  only  about  a  mile  from  here,"  pleaded 
Hazel,  pointing  off  to  the  west  toward  a  body  of 
land  extending  out  into  the  lake,  Indian  Point  being 
the  name  given  it. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS          119 

"  Well,  all  right,"  assented  Sylvia.  "  We  can 
make  a  quick  run  back.  Come  on,  let's  start." 

They  went  ashore  at  Indian  Point,  but  they  lin 
gered  longer  than  they  thought,  for  the  sun  was  in 
a  glory  of  red,  golden,  purple  and  violet  clouds  when 
they  went  down  to  where  they  had  left  the  boat. 

"  It  will  be  quite  dark  when  we  get  back,"  said 
Sylvia,  "  and  we  have  to  dress  for  dinner  and  the 
dance." 

"  And  I'm  not  going  to  miss  that  dance  for  any 
thing!  "  declared  Alice.  "  That  tall  fellow  has  a 
new  step  in  the  fox  trot  that  is  simply  delightful. 
Let's  hurry." 

But  that  was  easier  said  than  done,  for  when 
Sylvia  stepped  into  the  craft,  and  confidently  shoved 
over  the  self-starter,  there  was  only  a  groaning  pro 
test  and  the  motor  did  not  respond. 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  we  don't  have  to  start  by  hand ! " 
sighed  Alice.  "  It  is  such  a  heavy  engine." 

"  Well,  it  looks  as  though  we  should,"  said  Sylvia, 
grimly,  when,  after  several  trials,  the  motor  still 
refused  to  start.  Clearly,  or,  rather,  unclearly, 
something  was  wrong.  It  was  not  a  very  cheerful 
prospect.  In  fact  it  was  most  dismal,  with  night 
coming  on,  the  girls  some  distance  from  their  hotel, 
alone  and  with  a  "  cranky,"  not  to  say  unstartable, 
motor  boat. 


CHAPTER   XV 

A  LONELY  NIGHT 

"CAN'T   you  make   it  work?"   asked   Hazel,  when 
Sylvia  had  spent  some  time  over  the  self-starter. 

"  I  can't,"  was  the  answer,  and  Sylvia  tried  to 
keep  from  her  voice  any  trace  of  anxiety  or  peevish 
ness.  But  really  she  was  tired  and  nervous. 

"  Let  me  try,"  suggested  Alice,  whp  was  quite 
strong.  "  If  I  can't  make  the  starter  work  I  can 
turn  the  flywheel  over  by  hand." 

The  self-starter  operated  on  a  storage  battery, 
something  like  the  mechanism  of  an  automobile,  but 
not  as  easily.  But  while  the  starter  itself  whirred 
around,  the  gears  meshing  in  those  of  the  flywheel 
with  which  it  was  connected  by  a  jack  shaft,  there 
was  no  response  in  the  motor  itself. 

"  There  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  spark,"  said  Sylvia, 
as  she  watched  the  effect  of  Alice's  operations. 

"  Yes,  there's  a  spark  all  right,"  declared  Rose,  who 
had  her  eyes  on  one  of  the  patent  spark  plugs  that 
had  an  upper  chamber  in  which  an  auxiliary  jump 
spark  could  be  seen  leaping  from  one  platinum  point 
to  the  other.  "  The  spark  is  there,  but  it  doesn't 
seem  to  fire  the  charge  in  the  cylinder.  Maybe 
there's  no  gasoline." 

120 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  is.  I  tested  the  tank  only  a  few 
minutes  ago,"  Sylvia  said. 

"  Perhaps  it's  the  carburetor,"  suggested  Hazel, 
after  a  pause. 

"  Don't  you  dare  say  that !  "  cried  Rose.  "  Once 
you  start  to  change  that  adjustment  it's  all  up  with 
us.  We'll  be  here  for  the  night." 

"  Don't ! "  begged  Baby,  with  an  apprehensive 
glance  at  the  now  fast-darkening  woods.  They  were 
on  a  lonely  part  of  Indian  Point. 

"  Oh,  we'll  get  off  somehow,"  Sylvia  declared.  "  I 
wonder  if  there  are  any  men  about  on  whom  we  could 
call  for  help.  I  hate  to  think  of  trying  to  start  the 
motor  by  hand." 

"  And  that's  what  we'll  have  to  do,  soon,"  de 
clared  Alice.  "  The  storage  battery  is  almost  run 
down." 

This  was  only  too  true,  since  they  had  used  much 
of  the  energy  in  trying  to  make  the  auxiliary  motor 
of  the  self-starter  do  its  work.  And  without  the 
main  motor  running  no  more  electricity  would  be 
available  to  recharge  the  storage  cells. 

"  Well,  here  goes  for  a  little  gymnasium  work," 
Alice  said,  rolling  up  her  sleeves. 

"  I'll  see  if  there's  a  man,  or,  perhaps,  some  camp 
ers  about,"  volunteered  Sylvia,  "  then  I'll  come  back 
and  take  my  share." 

Again  and  again  Alice,  in  the  rather  cramped 
quarters  in  which  the  motor  was  housed,  tried  to 
start  it.  But  though  she  could  disconnect  the  self- 


THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

starter  gears,  and  turn  over  the  flywheel,  there  was 
no  answering  explosion  even  then. 

"  It's  the  ignition,"  declared  Sylvia,  who  came 
back  in  the  gathering  twilight  to  report  that  she 
could  find  no  one  to  help  in  the  comparatively  short 
distance  she  went  away  from  the  others. 

"  Maybe  it  will  start  on  the  batteries,"  suggested 
Hazel. 

"  We've  tried  that,"  declared  Alice. 

"  Well,  try  again,"  urged  Sylvia.  "  We  must  do 
something.  This  is  a  terribly  lonesome  place,  and  I, 
for  one,  don't  want  to  have  to  stay  here  all  night ! " 

"  I  should  say  not,  most  decidedly ! "  exclaimed 
Hazel.  "  I— I'll  swim  back  before  I'll  do  that." 

"  Well,  we  certainly  won't  walk,"  said  Rose,  with 
determination.  "  We  could  manage  to  sleep  aboard 
the  Clytie!  "  she  went  on.  "  We  could  take  a  stone 
for  an  anchor,  and  shove  the  boat  out  in  the  lake, 
away  from  the  shore." 

"  You  seem  to  have  it  all  thought  out,"  commented 
Hazel.  "  Why  away  from  the  shore  ?  " 

"  Then  no — er — no  snakes  could  crawl  aboard  !  " 

"  Don't ! "  begged  Alice,  looking  up  with  grimy 
face  and  hands  from  her  labor  over  the  motor.  She 
wore  gloves,  but  they  did  not  much  protect  her,  as 
they  were  splitting  at  the  seams. 

"  Oh,  we'll  get  off  some  time,"  Sylvia  said.  "  Here, 
let  me  have  a  try,  Alice." 

She  took  her  place  at  the  wheel  and  worked  hard 
and  faithfully.  But  though  the  motor  coughed, 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         123 

sneezed  and  gave  other  evidences  of  senile  decay, 
there  was  no  healthy  "  wuff ! "  of  a  genuine  ex 
plosion. 

"  There !  That  sounded  like  something !  "  cried 
Rose,  suddenly,  following  a  continued  whirling  about 
of  the  flywheel  on  the  part  of  Sylvia. 

"  What  sounded  like  something?  "  demanded  Hazel. 

"  As  if  one  of  the  cylinders  had  voted  to  go  to 
work.  Let  me  relieve  you,  Sylvia." 

"  No,  if  there's  a  hopeful  sign,  the  best  thing  to  do 
is  to  keep  on  before  the  cylinder  gets  cold." 

Again  she  worked  at  the  motor,  and  then,  to  the 
joy  of  the  girls,  it  suddenly  started  off  with  a  suc 
cession  of  heavy  throbs  as  though  it  had  intended 
to  do  so  all  the  while,  but  had  waited  until  sufficiently 
coaxed. 

"  There ! "  cried  Sylvia,  in  relieved  tones  as  she 
stretched  out  on  a  cushioned  locker  to  ease  the  pain 
in  her  back.  "  Let  her  run  now  until  she  gets  good 
and  warm  before  throwing  in  the  clutch." 

"  What  was  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Don't  ask  me,  my  dear.  I  think  it  was  the 
timer,  but  I  don't  want  to  make  any  rash  assertions 
for  fear  some  other  part  of  the  mechanism  will  feel 
slighted  and  refuse  to  work  until  its  claims  have 
been  recognised.  So  don't  ask  me." 

"  But  it's  working  now !  "  Rose  cried.  '*  We'll  get 
back  in  time  for — — " 

"  The  dance !  "  finished  Alice.  "  Shall  I  throw  in 
the  clutch  now,  Sylvia  ?  " 


124        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Yes,  we'll  take  a  chance." 

There  was  a  grinding,  groaning  and  squealing 
sound  as  the  clutch  slipped  into  place.  The  water 
under  the  stern  of  the  boat  boiled  and  bubbled. 

The  Clytie  started  forward  and  then  suddenly 
brought  up  with  a  jerk  that  jarred  the  girls. 

"  Oh !  "  screamed  Hazel. 

"  What  is  it?  "  demanded  Rose. 

"  It's  just  as  well  to  loosen  the  mooring  rope  when 
you  want  to  start,"  said  Alice,  dryly.  "  It's  rather 
too  much  to  ask  a  boat  of  this  size  to  pull  up  a  big 
tree  by  the  roots,"  and  she  pointed  to  where  the  rope 
from  the  ring  bolt  of  the  forward  deck  was  still  tied 
to  a  tree  on  shore. 

"  I'll  loosen  it,"  offered  Sylvia,  and  the  motor  was 
thrown  out  of  gear  to  enable  her  to  do  this.  Then, 
once  more  they  started  off,  and  steered  the  boat  out 
around  the  head  of  Indian  Point,  for  they  had  gone 
ashore  on  the  side  nearest  to  Sucker  Brook  Bay. 

"  I  do  hope  it  runs  all  right  the  rest  of  the  way 
home,"  murmured  Alice. 

"  Hush !  Don't  say  a  word !  Knock  wood !  " 
Hazel  advised  her,  in  a  mocking  whisper. 

It  was  now  dark  enough  to  call  for  the  lighting 
of  the  lamps  on  the  craft,  and  the  signal  ones,  fore 
and  aft,  and  the  red  and  green  ones  on  either  side 
were  set  aglow. 

"  But  we  won't  light  the  cabin  ones  yet,"  Sylvia 
decided. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  demanded  Alice.     "  I  want  to  get 


125 

some  of  the  grime  off  my  hands.  Otherwise  I'll  have 
to  wear  gloves  at  the  dance,  and  I  despise  them  on 
a  warm  night." 

"  We  won't  light  the  lights  in  the  cabin  until  the 
storage  battery  has  had  a  chance  to  pick  up  some 
current,"  Sylvia  said.  "  You  can  just  as  well  wash 
in  the  dark,  and  we  may  need  current  for  the  self- 
starter  before  we  get  home." 

"  I  certainly  hope  not !  "  cried  Hazel.  "  We've 
had  trouble  enough  for  one  day.  We  won't  get  in 
until  after  dinner  now,  and  those  waiters  are  so  fussy 
about  serving  anything  after  hours." 

"  Oh,  well,  we  can  tip  them,"  said  Sylvia.  "  I'm 
afraid  we  are  going  to  be  late,  but  we  are  running 
as  fast  as  we  dare  in  these  waters.  I  don't  know 
them  at  all." 

They  had  reached  a  section  of  the  lake  around 
from  Indian  Point,  and  were  heading  down  between 
the  shore  and  Osprey  Island  when  the  motor  sud 
denly  ceased  humming  and  throbbing. 

"  There !  "  cried  Sylvia,  tragically. 

"  Don't  say  I  told  you  so,"  begged  Alice. 

"  Head  for  shore,  quick !  "  cried  Rose  to  Hazel, 
who  was  steering. 

"  Why?  "  asked  the  latter. 

"  Because  we  don't  want  to  drift  all  ovtr  the  lake, 
and  we  have  momentum  enough  to  land  now.  Quick ! 
Head  for  shore !  " 

Hazel  did  so,  and  the  Clytie  just  managed  to  poke 
her  nose  gently  against  the  bank  in  the  fast-gathering 


126        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

darkness.  Alice  and  Sylvia  were  working  frantically 
to  start  the  motor  again,  but  it  would  not  respond. 

"  Well,  what  are  we  going  to  do  ?  "  asked  Sylvia, 
when  they  had  swung  broadside  to  the  bank.  "  It 
seems  we  can't  get  going  again." 

"Oh,  must  we  stay  here?"  demanded  Rose,  with 
a  glance  at  the  dark  and  silent  woods,  while  the  lonely 
night  settled  down  all  about  them. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  LOON 

"  WE'LL,  stay  here  long  enough  to  get  the  motor 
started  again,  and  then  we'll  go  on,"  declared  Sylvia, 
with  a  confidence  she  did  not  altogether  feel.  In 
spite  of  her  common  sense  and  her  "  nowadaysness," 
she  felt  an  almost  overpowering  sensation  of  fear. 
It  was  as  if  the  darkness  were  pressing  down  on  her 
like  some  black  pall — a  blanket,  smothery  and 
choking. 

Yet  it  was  but  the  ordinary  darkness  of  the  woods. 
But  it  was  an  intense  blackness,  relieved  only  by  the 
stars,  and  only  a  few  of  them,  for  the  night  was 
somewhat  cloudy. 

Those  of  you  who  have  never  been  in  the  woods 
after  dark  have  no  idea  how  black  it  can  be  at  night. 

In  every  city,  and  in  most  small  towns  and  villages, 
there  are  some  lights  that  burn  all  night.  So  that, 
even  if  you  are  not  actually  at  the  source  of  illumina 
tion,  you  can  see  a  sort  of  diffused  glow  that,  in  a 
measure,  cuts  the  blackness.  But  it  is  not  so  in  the 
woods. 

The  very  darkness  of  the  tree  trunks  seems  to  add 
to  the  blackness  of  the  night,  as  though  they  had 
absorbed  what  little  light  the  sun  might  have  left. 

127 


128         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

And  if,  perchance,  you  come  upon  a  clump  of  white 
birches  when  travelling  along  a  woodland  path  after 
night  has  fallen,  they  only  seem  to  accentuate  the 
darkness,  standing  out  as  they  do  like  attenuated 
ghosts. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  bear  it ! "  went  on  Rose,  with  a  little 
shiver.  She  cuddled  close  against  Hazel.  "  I  can't 
bear  it!" 

"  Don't  be  silly,"  was  the  retort.  "  The  dark  can't 
hurt  you." 

"  No,  but  to  stay  in — in  those  woods !  "  and  Rose 
waved  an  unseen  hand  at  the  forest,  to  the  very  edge 
of  which  the  Clytie  had  drifted  with  the  last  of  her 
momentum  after  the  stopping  of  the  motor. 

"  We  don't  have  to  stay  there,  we  can  sleep  on  the 
boat  and  anchor  it  out  in  the  lake,"  said  Alice. 
"What  are  you  doing,  Sylvia?"  she  demanded. 

"  I'm  going  to  try  to  start  the  motor,"  was  the 
answer.  "  One  of  you  girls  get  the  boat  hook  and 
turn  us  around.  I  don't  want  to  collide  with  the 
bank." 

"  No  danger  of  that,"  declared  Hazel.  "  She 
won't  start,  and  if  she  does — wait,  I'll  throw  out  the 
clutch." 

This  she  did,  while  Alice  took  the  boat  hook,  and 
Sylvia  proceeded  to  operate  the  self -starter  again. 
The  batteries  had  been  recharged  somewhat  while  the 
motor  was  going,  operating  the  small  dynamo,  or 
magneto,  and  there  was  available  an  electric  current 
for  some  little  time. 


129 

Sylvia  threw  over  the  operating  switch.  There  was 
a  grinding  of  gears  as  the  powerful  little  mechanism 
operated  the  propeller  shaft,  but  the  motor  proper 
remained  mute.  Once  again  there  seemed  to  be 
trouble  with  the  ignition  system,  though  the  spark 
plugs  showed,  in  the  upper  chamber  where  the  aux 
iliary  spark-gap  was  located,  that  there  was  current 
flowing  somewhere. 

"  But  it  doesn't  reach  the  ignition  chamber  and 
explode  the  gas,"  said  Sylvia,  in  disappointed  tones, 
as,  again  and  again,  she  threw  over  the  self-starter 
switch. 

"  Let  it  go,"  advised  Hazel. 

"What?"  Sylvia  cried. 

"  I  say  let  it  go.  Don't  try  any  more.  It  won't 
work.  The  engine  needs  overhauling,  and  there's 
no  use  wasting  all  the  power  in  the  storage  battery. 
If  we  do  we  won't  have  any  for  lights,  and  we  don't 
want  to  stay  here  in  the  dark." 

"  Mercy,  no ! "  exclaimed  Rose,  shivering  again. 

"  There  are  oil  lamps,"  murmured  Sylvia,  as  she 
looked  at  the  self-starter  again,  as  if  she  contem 
plated  trying  that  once  more. 

"  Oh,  but  they  are  so  mussy,"  complained  Alice. 
"  Do  leave  some  current  in  the  battery  for  the  incan- 
descents.  It  will  be  something,  anyhow,  as  long  as 
we  have  to  stay  here." 

"  Oh,  do  we  really  have  to  stay  here  ? "  wailed 
Rose.  "  Can't  we  paddle  home?  " 

"  No  oars,"  said  Sylvia,  briefly. 


130        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"And  just  where  is  home?  "  asked  Alice.  "Who 
knows  ?  " 

"  Why — why — you  can't  see  anything !  "  declared 
Hazel.  "  Look !  " 

"  What's  the  use  of  looking  if  you  can't  see  any 
thing?  "  demanded  Sylvia,  just  the  least  bit  crossly. 
And  no  wonder,  for  she  had  laboured  long  over  the 
motor,  and  fruitlessly. 

"  Oh,  but  we  seem  to  be  surrounded  by  darkness !  " 
went  on  Hazel.  "  There  isn't  a  patch  of  light  any 
where  but  up  above,"  and  she  motioned  to  one  or 
two  faintly-shining  stars. 

"  We've  drifted  around  some  point  of  land,  and 
we're  in  a  little  bay,"  was  the  opinion  of  Alice. 
"  Two  ends  of  land  overlap.  We  can  go  out  the  way 
we  came  in,  if  we  could  only  get  the  boat  started." 

"  I  don't  like  running  in  these  unknown  waters 
after  dark,"  said  Sylvia. 

"  But  what  are  we  to  do,  my  dear?  "  asked  Rose. 
"  Can  we  stay  here  ?  " 

"Can  we  stay  anywhere  else?"  was  the  instanl 
question.  "  We  might  as  well  make  the  best  of  it, 
I  think,  and  get  comfortable.  We  have  something 
left  to  eat,  we  can  make  tea — or  coffee  if  we  brought 
any  with  us — and  there  is  room  to  sleep,  after  a 
fashion." 

"  But  not  with  the  boat  so  near  shore,"  insisted 
Rose,  for  the  bow  of  the  Clytie  was  scraping  along 
the  wooded  bank  in  response  to  some  slight  current 
of  air  or  water. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         131 

"  No,  we  can  anchor  out  a  way,"  admitted  Sylvia. 
"  We'll  have  to  go  ashore,  though,  and  get  a  stone 
for  an  anchor." 

"  Oh,  what  will  Aunt  Theodora  think  and  say? 
What  will  the  folks  at  the  hotel  think?  They'll  be 
worried  to  death,  send  out  a  search  party  for  us, 
rouse  the  lake.  It  will  be  terrible !  "  cried  Rose,  in 
dismay. 

"  No  more  terrible  for  them  than  for  us,"  retorted 
Sylvia.  "  This  is  none  of  our  doing.  We'd  be  only 
too  glad  to  get  back  if  we  could.  But  we  can't  make 
the  motor  '  mote,'  and  it  would  be  foolish  and  risky 
to  get  out  in  the  middle  of  the  lake,  and  be  stalled 
there.  We  are  much  better  off  here." 

"  I  suppose  we  could  manage  to  call  for  help,  or 
make  our  way  to  some  camp  or  cottage,"  suggested 
Hazel. 

"  I'd  rather  not,"  Sylvia  said,  more  calmly  than 
she  had  yet  spoken.  "  If  we  call  for  help,  the  chances 
are  we  wouldn't  be  heard.  This  seems  to  be  a  de 
serted  part  of  Raquette  Lake.  Then,  too,  we'd  only 
strain  our  voices,  and  get  hysterically  nervous  if  we 
didn't  get  an  answer." 

"  What  about  shoving  the  boat  along  the  shore, 
and  close  to  it,  with  poles  ?  "  suggested  Alice.  "  We 
could  do  that,  and  perhaps  get  to  some  camp  that 
way." 

"  We  might,"  assented  Sylvia.  "  But  do  we  want 
to  reach  the  camp  of  some  men  or  boys  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  all  tired  out  and  dishevelled  from  our 


132        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

efforts  in  poling  the  boat?  I,  for  one,  don't.  I  pre 
fer  to  stay  here,  in  our  own  boat,  where  we  can  lie 
down  in  some  sort  of  comfort,  at  least.  We  can 
manage  to  get  enough  to  eat  with  what  we  had  left 
over  from  lunch.  I  vote  we  stay  here !  " 

"  But  what  will  people  say?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  What  can  they  say?  I  guess  it  isn't  the  first 
time  a  motor-boat  party  has  been  stalled  by  a  balky 
engine.  People  can't  say  anything." 

"  I  shan't  mind  it  if  they  do,"  declared  Alice. 
"  Nowadays  girls  are  accorded  many  more  privileges 
than  in  former  years." 

"  Even  to  staying  out  all  night  without  a  chap 
eron  ?  "  demanded  Rose. 

"  When  it  can't  be  helped — yes !  "  said  Sylvia,  half 
defiantly. 

"  Well,  it  certainly  can't  be  helped,  in  this  case," 
declared  Alice. 

"  Poor  Aunt  Theodora ! "  murmured  Hazel. 
"  She  will  be  distracted !  " 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort ! "  exclaimed  Alice,  in  her 
most  convincing  tones.  "  She  knows  we  can  take 
care  of  ourselves." 

'« That's  what  I  say,"  added  Sylvia.  "  She  knows 
we  are  in  a  good  safe  boat.  Too  safe ! "  she  added, 
with  a  short  laugh.  "  It  won't  even  go,  like  the  old 
lady's  goat  in  the  nursery  rhyme.  And  we  are  all 
good  swimmers.  She  may  worry  a  bit  at  first,  but 
she  has  had  experience  with  too  many  schoolgirls' 
escapades  to  fret  long." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS          133 

"  This  isn't  an  escapade!  "  declared  Rose. 

"What  is  it,  then?" 

"  It  will  be  an  experience  before  we  have  finished," 
said  Hazel,  with  a  short  laugh. 

Somehow  the  girls  could  laugh  a  little  now.  The 
feeling  of  gloom  and  terror  was  wearing  off. 

"  Well,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  go  ashore  and 
find  a  stone  for  an  anchor,"  said  Sylvia,  getting 
practical  suddenly.  Not  that  she  had  not  been  so 
before,  but  this  was  adapting  practicality  to  new 
conditions.  "  We  won't  need  a  very  heavy  one,  as 
there  is  little  wind,  and  we  won't  drag  much.  We 
want  to  anchor  only  a  very  short  way  from  the 
shore." 

"  What  next?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  Next  we'll  find  something  to  eat,  and  get  com 
fortable  for  the  night." 

"  I  never  could  go  to  sleep,"  remonstrated  Rose, 
with  a  premonitory  glance  over  her  shoulder  at  the 
blackness  that  seemed  to  grow  more  and  more  in 
tense  every  moment. 

"  Well,  if  you  sit  up  long  enough  you  can  go  to 
sleep,"  suggested  Sylvia.  "  Now  I'll  light  a  lan 
tern,  and  we'll  go  ashore  for  the  stone." 

The  boat  was  pushed  around  with  the  pole  to 
enable  a  safe  landing  to  be  made.  The  rope  was 
carried  ashore  and  made  fast  to  a  tree  branch,  to 
insure  the  Clytie  against  drifting  off  while  they  were 
hunting  for  the  rock-anchor. 

Then,  with  one  of  the  oil  lamps,  which  were  used 


134         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

for  signals  in  case  the  electrics  gave  out,  the  four 
girls  went  ashore.  They  easily  found  the  proper 
stone  near  the  water's  edge,  and  making  fast  the  rope 
to  it,  pushed  the  boat  out  a  little  way  from  the 
bank,  and  dropped  the  anchor  overboard  with  a  splash 
that  awoke  the  echoes  in  that  silent  place. 

"  And  now  for  supper,  tea,  dinner,  breakfast,  or 
whatever  w6  choose  to  call  it,J'  suggested  Sylvia,  who 
seemed  to  have  taken  command  of  the  situation. 
"  What  shall  it  be — tea  or  coffee?  We  have  both," 
she  added,  for  a  hasty  search  among  the  lunch 
baskets  had  disclosed  that  fact. 

"  Coffee !  "  voted  Rose.  "  It  will  help  to  keep  us 
awake,  and  I  don't  want  to  close  my  eyes." 

"Don't  be  silly!"  scoffed  Sylvia.  "Be  a  real 
member  of  the  Nowadays  Club !  " 

"  All  right,  I'll  try,"  was  the  rather  faint  answer. 

The  alcohol  stove,  which  burned  the  new  solid  fuel, 
was  set  going,  and  water,  in  a  tiny  kettle,  was  put 
on  to  boil.  The  girls  busied  themselves  setting  out 
the  dishes  and  food  on  the  folding  table  which  was 
set  up  in  the  centre  of  the  cabin,  the  seats,  whicK 
later  would  become  bunks,  being  ranged  on  either 
side. 

"Now,  could  anything  be  more  cosy  than  this?" 
asked  Sylvia,  when  the  kettle  was  humming. 

"  It  is  nice,"  assented  Hazel.  "  If  only  Aunt 
Theodora  knew  we  were  here  and  all  right,  I  would 
not  worry  so " 

Hazel's  remarks  were  interrupted  by  such  a  wild, 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS          135 

weird  cry,  bursting  out  on  the  silence  of  the  night, 
echoing  and  reverberating  in  the  air  all  about  them, 
that  the  girls  involuntarily  uttered  screams,  and 
huddled  together  in  the  cabin  of  the  boat. 

They  stared  at  each  other  with  fear-lustred  eyes, 
and  when  Rose  dropped  a  cup,  letting  it  slip  from 
her  nerveless  fingers  so  that  it  crashed  into  pieces 
on  the  cabin  floor,  it  was  rather  a  relief  than  other 
wise  of  the  tension. 

Again  came  that  wild,  weird  cry,  something  like 
the  laugh  of  a  maniac,  or  the  defiant  yell  of  a  mad 
dened  beast.  It  started  with  a  low  cadence,  rose  to 
a  shrill  scream,  and  died  away  like  the  last  blast 
from  some  siren  whistle. 

"  What — what  in  the  name  of  mercy  was  that?  " 
gasped  Hazel. 

"  Maybe — maybe  some  one — calling  for  us,"  whis 
pered  Rose. 

"  No  human  being  would  call  that  way,"  Alice 
.declared,  haltingly. 

Again  came  the  cry,  eerie  and  nerve-racking.  It 
seemed  to  be  nearer  the  boat  now. 

"  Perhaps  campers  trying  to  scare  us,"  stammered 
Hazel. 

"  No  one — man  or  boy — could  yell  that  way,"  said 
Sylvia.  "  It  must  be " 

A  third  time  came  the  cry — banshee-like  in  its 
weirdness.  It  was  followed  by*a  splash  in  the  water, 
seemingly  at  the  very  bow  of  the  Clytie. 

"  Oh !  "  screamed  Rose,  shrilly. 


136        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Be  still ! "  commanded  Sylvia,  and  she  laughed. 

"  She — she's  getting — hysterics !  Oh,  dear !  "  half- 
moaned  Alice. 

"  Nonsense !  "  and  Sylvia  was  laughing  harder  than 
ever.  "  It's  only  a  loon !  " 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IN  CAMP 

FOE  a  moment  Sylvia's  companions  did  not  respond. 
They  gazed  at  her  as  if  wondering  whether  she  had 
really  said  anything,  or  as  if  they  did  not  know 
whether  or  not  to  believe  her  if  she  had  made  any 
utterance. 

"What — what  did  you  say?"  asked  Rose,  at 
length. 

"  That  was  a  loon,"  Sylvia  went  on.  "A  big  bird, 
you  know.  They  are  great  swimmers  and  divers, 
and  they  have  the  most  awful  screech  you  ever 
heard." 

"  Well,  if  that  was  a  sample  of  it,  I  can  well  be 
lieve  it !  "  said  Hazel. 

"  Are  you  sure  it  was  a  loon  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Positive,"  declared  Sylvia.  "  I  knew  what  it  was 
after  I  heard  the  third  cry  and  the  splash  in  the 
water." 

"  It  must  have  been  quite  near  our  boat,"  ven 
tured  Rose. 

"  It  was,"  went  on  Sylvia.  "  That's  what  made  it 
sound  so  weird  and  terrifying." 

"  It  sounded  like  a  lost  soul,"  murmured  Hazel. 
"  Not  that  I  know  what  sort  of  cries  are  emitted 

137 


138         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

by  lost  souls,"  she  hastened  to  add,  "  but  that  is 
how  I  should  describe  it.  I  hope  the  loon  doesn't 
come  back  and  serenade  us  during  the  night." 

"  Don't  you  dare  suggest  such  a  thing !  "  exclaimed 
Rose.  "  It  was  like  some  one  crying  out  in  a  horri 
ble  nightmare." 

"  I  don't  believe  it  will  come  back,"  Sylvia  de 
clared.  "  Sometimes  there  will  be  only  one  loon  in 
a  place,  but  if  there  are  more,  one  calls  to  another 
and  they  make  a  terrible  racket.  I  was  camping 
with  my  father  once,  and  that  happened.  I  was  a 
little  girl,  but  I  have  never  forgotten  the  loons. 
This  one  was  probably  after  a  fish.  You  know  they 
dive  into  the  water,  and  actually  swim  under  it  to 
get  the  fish  they  pursue.  They  are  wonderful  swim 
mers  and  divers." 

"  Well,  I  hope  that  one  keeps  on  swimming  and 
diving  and  that  he'll  be  too  busy  to  do  any  more 
yelling  this  night,"  said  Hazel.  "  Ugh !  He  gave 
me  the  shivers." 

"  And  I  broke  a  cup,"  added  Rose. 

"  Never  mind,  we  have  enough  left  for  coffee," 
Sylvia  remarked.  "  I  guess  the  water  is  boiling  now. 
Pass  the  sandwiches,  girls,  and  see  if  there  are  any 
olives  left." 

"  A  whole  big  bottle,  of  lovely  stuffed  ones ! " 
Alice  reported,  taking  it  out  of  a  locker.  "  Where's 
the  corkscrew?  " 

It  was  found,  the  simple  meal  was  set  forth  on  the 
table,  and  the  girls  gathered  around  it  to  eat,  but 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         139 

not  without  little,  nervous  glances  over  their  shoul 
ders  now  and  then,  at  sounds  in  the  nearby  woods. 

But  gradually  this  feeling  wore  off,  and  the  girls 
were  more  like  themselves.  That  was  one  admirable 
trait  of  the  Nowadays  Girls :  they  could  adapt  them 
selves  to  almost  any  circumstances.  They  were  very 
democratic,  though  that  quality  was  not  called  for 
so  much  in  this  instance  as  was  good,  sound  common 
sense. 

"  There,  I  feel  a  whole  lot  better,"  remarked  Sylvia, 
as  she  pushed  back  her  plate. 

"  So  do  I,"  added  Hazel. 

"  And  I'm  not  nearly  so  frightened,"  declared 
Rose. 

"  That's  a  blessing,"  Hazel  said. 

"  Oh,  you  were  just  as  alarmed  as  I  was,  Baby," 
retorted  the  Syracuse  girl.  "  But,  really,  I  wouldn't 
mind  hearing  that  loon  call  again." 

"  Well,  7  certainly  would ! "  Alice  exclaimed. 
"  Don't  you  dare  invite  him  to  call,"  and  they  all 
laughed. 

The  girls  sat  about  the  cabin,  closing  the  sliding 
doors  for  comfort  since  the  night  air  was  chilling. 
They  turned  off  all  but  one  of  the  little  incandescent 
lights,  so  the  storage  battery  would  last  until  morn 
ing.  They  left  a  single  lantern  burning  outside  on 
deck,  "  to  scare  away  snakes,"  as  Rose  jokingly 
put  it. 

In  spite  of  the  determination  of  each  one  not  to 
go  to  sleep,  Nature  was  stronger  than  the  will  of 


140        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

any  of  the  girls,  and  at  times  each  one  felt  herself 
nodding  and  dozing. 

"  I  don't  care ! "  Sylvia  finally  declared,  with  a 
sleepy  yawn.  "  I  am  going  to  lie  down.  We'll  all 
feel  better  in  the  morning,  and  there  is  nothing  in 
the  world  to  be  alarmed  about  here.  Let's  *  turn 
in,'  as  the  sailors  say." 

After  a  little  hesitation,  the  other  girls  did  like 
wise,  and  soon  all  four  were  peacefully  slumbering 
on  the  seat  bunks. 

The  rest  did  make  them  feel  much  fresher  the  next 
morning.  They  were  awake  early,  to  find  the  day 
a  most  glorious  one,  and  there  was  coffee  enough  left 
for  a  refreshing  cup. 

After  that  they  took  turns  in  trying  to  start  the 
motor.  But  the  storage  battery  was  used  up  with 
out  success,  nor  were  their  efforts  at  turning  the  fly 
wheel  over  by  hand  any  more  successful. 

"  Well,  we  can  pole  ourselves  along  shore,  and 
help  will  be  easy  to  get  in  daylight,"  said  Sylvia, 
cheerfully.  "  Come  on,  girls !  " 

They  poled  their  way  out  of  the  little  bay,  where 
they  had  spent  the  night,  and  gradually  worked  their 
boat  along  the  shore.  They  had  not  gone  far  before 
they  heard  a  hail.  It  came  from  a  large  motor  boat, 
containing  several  men,  who  had  the  look  of  typical 
Adirondack  guides. 

"  I  say,  be  you  the  lost  young  ladies  ?  "  was  the 
cry. 

"  I  think  so.     We  were  lost,"  Sylvia  responded. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS          141 

"  Well,  we're  lookin'  for  you,"  the  spokesman  went 
on.  "  Lot  of  parties  out  from  the  Antlers.  What's 
the  matter?" 

"  Engine  trouble,"  replied  Sylvia,  succinctly. 

"  I  thought  Aunt  Theodora  would  start  a  search 
for  us,"  remarked  Hazel. 

"  It's  a  wonder  she  didn't  come  herself,"  Rose 
said. 

"  We'll  give  you  a  tow,"  went  on  the  man  at  the 
wheel  of  the  big  motor  boat.  "  We're  only  one  of 
several  searchin'  parties.  The  lady  you're  with  is 
out,  too." 

"  I  thought  so !  "  Rose  exclaimed.  "  Dear  Aunt 
Theodora !  Oh,  but  wasn't  it  awful  of  us  to  stay 
out  all  night !  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  could  help  it,"  Sylvia  de 
clared.  "  We  certainly  couldn't  walk  through  the 
woods  at  night." 

A  little  later  they  were  being  towed  back  to  the 
hotel  by  the  searching  party,  and  had  related  to 
the  kindly  guides  their  experiences.  Before  they 
reached  the  dock  another  motor  boat  had  sighted 
them,  and  came  up  at  full  speed. 

"  There's  Aunt  Theodora,"  called  Sylvia.  A  hand 
kerchief  was  vigorously  waved,  and  four  others  an 
swered  it. 

"  Oh,  girls,  I  was  much  worried  about  you ! "  the 
guardian  said,  kissing  them  all  around.  "  Yet, 
somehow,  I  knew  you  would  be  all  right.  However, 
I  organised  searching  parties,  using  all  the  boats 


142        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

I  could  commandeer,  and  they've  been  out  all  night. 
Didn't  you  hear  them  whistling  and  calling  ?  " 

"  All  we  heard  was  the  loon,"  said  Hazel. 

Once  again  they  told  their  story,  and  a  little  later 
they  were  back  at  their  hotel. 

"  Was  the  dance  nice  ?  "  asked  Hazel,  when  she  and 
her  chums  had  changed  to  fresh  garments. 

"They  didn't  have  it,"  Aunt  Theodora  said. 
"  Every  one  was  distracted  about  you,  and  a  num 
ber  of  young  men  declared  they  would  not  dance 
while  you  were  lost.  They  went  out  in  a  boat  after 
you,  and  they  haven't  come  back  yet.  I  must  say 
it  was  very  nice  of  them." 

"What?  Not  coming  back?"  asked  Sylvia. 
"  That  isn't  a  bit  nice.  We  want  them  to  dance  with 
us.  Though  it  was  a  tribute  to — shall  I  say  our 
popularity  ? — to  call  off  the  hop." 

"  Hope  they  have  it  to-night,"  murmured  Alice. 

The  young  men  returned,  rather  weary  and  for 
lorn,  but  the  news  that  the  lost  ones  had  been  found 
reached  them  before  they  arrived  at  the  dock,  so  they 
came  up  singing  and  rejoicing. 

That  night  the  postponed  dance  was  held. 

"  Oh,  but  weren't  you  girls  frightened  to  death, 
staying  out  all  alone  that  way?"  asked  Natalie, 
during  an  interval  between  dances. 

"  Not  after  we  had  gotten  used  to  it,"  Sylvia  said. 
"  It  was  rather  a  lark." 

"  No,  it  was  a  loon!  "  corrected  Alice,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Say,  little  one,  I  think  you're  dancing  too  many 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         143 

dances  with  one  partner,"  commented  Rose,  turning 
to  Hazel. 

"How  can  I  help  it?  He  asks  me  before  any  of 
the  other  fellows  have  a  chance — not  that  I  want 
them,  for  he  dances  beautifully,"  said  Hazel,  with 
an  assumed  innocent  air  that  became  her  well. 

"  Hopeless  !  "  murmured  Sylvia. 

Then  the  music  began  a  dreamy  hesitation. 

So  delightful  did  the  Nowadays  Girls  find  their 
stay  at  the  Antlers  that  they  decided  to  prolong  their 
visit  another  week.  Sylvia  received  a  message,  saying 
that  her  brother  was  doing  as  well  as  could  be  ex 
pected,  and  this  somewhat  cheered  her  and  Rose. 

"  And  now  what  do  you  say  to  a  few  days  in 
camp?"  asked  Mrs.  Brownley,  when  she  and  her 
charges  had  returned  one  day  from  a  long  motor 
trip. 

"  Camp  ?  "  exclaimed  Hazel. 

"  Yes.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parson  are  talking  of 
going  off  to  the  woods  to  live  in  a  tent,  near  a  small 
lake  not  far  from  here,  and  they  asked  me  if  I 
thought  you  girls  wouldn't  like  to  join  them.  What 
shall  I  say?" 

"  Please  accept  for  us,"  said  Sylvia.  "  That  is,  if 
the  others  agree.  It  will  give  us  a  taste  of  real  wil 
derness  life.  So  different  from  hotel  existence." 

"  But  we  can't  have  any  dances,"  objected  Alice. 

"  Oh,  we  can  get  along  without  them  for  a  little 
while,"  Rose  said. 

"  Well,  if  you  can  exist  without  a  onestep,  I'm 


144         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

sure  I  can,  or  a  half-and-half,  either,"  declared  Alice. 
"  Ho,  for  the  camp ! " 

"  Do  we  have  to  do  our  own  cooking? "  asked 
Hazel. 

"  No,  I  believe  they  are  going  to  take  a  cook 
along." 

"  So  much  nicer,"  murmured  Sylvia,  "  though  I 
have  cooked  in  camp,  and  over  an  open  fire.  But  I 
can't  say  I  like  it.  When  do  we  go,  Aunt  Theo 
dora?" 

"  In  a  day  or  so.  I'll  go  and  tell  Mrs.  Parson  you 
will  accept  their  kind  invitation." 

So  it  was  arranged.  And  a  day  or  so  later  the 
little  party  went  over  to  Shedd  Lake,  about  four 
miles  from  Raquette  Lake,  there  to  live  under  canvas 
for  perhaps  a  week. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CANOEING 

CAMP  NATALIE  it  was  named,  in  honour  of  the  bride, 
though  she  blushingly  protested.  But  Sylvia  and 
her  chums  insisted,  and  the  name  was  built  up  in 
bark  letters  on  a  board,  and  suspended  in  the  little 
open  glade  in  front  of  the  tents,  which  faced  the  blue 
waters  of  the  lake. 

The  camp  was  a  most  complete  and  modern  one. 
A  man  had  been  engaged  to  look  after  the  putting 
up  of  the  tents,  and  the  arranging  of  all  matters, 
so  that  the  fun-lovers  had  really  nothing  to  worry 
about.  And  the  man  had  done  his  work  well. 

There  were  five  canvas  shelters  in  all,  besides  a 
small  additional  one  near  the  cook  tent,  where  slept 
the  buxom  woman  who  presided  over  the  dishes,  pots 
and  pans. 

A  large  tent  that  could  be  made  open  to  the 
glorious  breezes,  or  closed  in  case  of  stormy  weather, 
served  as  the  dining-room.  The  cooking  was  done 
in  another  tent,  with  a  real  stove,  burning  coal  that 
was  transported  to  camp  in  a  wagon.  For  there  is 
nothing  more  exasperating  than  to  cook  over  a  wood 
fire.  Either  it  is  too  hot,  or  it  has  expired  before 
the  cook  is  aware  of  it,  and  has  to  be  brought  hastily 

145 


146        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

to  life  again  to  the  detriment  of  the  viands.  So  coal 
solved  the  problem. 

Then  there  were  three  sleeping  tents,  with  ample 
accommodations  and  the  most  modern  of  cots.  In 
fact  it  was  a  most  comfortable  camp,  and  the  Now 
adays  Girls,  as  well  as  Natalie  and  her  husband, 
pronounced  it  to  be  perfect. 

After  setting  the  camp  to  rights,  which  was  no 
small  task,  even  though  the  cook  and  her  husband, 
a  guide,  helped,  there  followed  a  somewhat  lazy 
period.  The  girls  went  for  strolls  in  the  balsam- 
odorous  woods,  or  sat  on  the  shores  of  the  little 
lake,  looking  at  the  view.  Sometimes,  when  Rose 
was  particularly  pensive,  Hazel  or  Alice  would  ask: 

"Can't  you  stop  it?" 

"  Stop  what?  "  she  would  ask,  sometimes  before  she 
thought. 

"  Thinking  of  Roy." 

"  Oh ! "  and  she  would  blush  rosy  red. 

"  Well,  I  don't  blame  her  for  thinking  of  him,  if 
he's  as  nice  as  his  picture  indicates,"  said  Natalie — 
for  so  all  the  girls  called  her.  "  I  shall  like  him 
myself!" 

"Oh!  "exclaimed  Hazel. 

"  In  a  perfectly  brotherly  way,"  Natalie  added, 
calmly.  "  In  fact  I  almost  think  of  him  as  a  brother 
already." 

"  He  is  awfully  nice,"  declared  Alice.  "  He  is  such 
a  dear  boy,  and  it  was  too  bad  that  this  trouble  had 
to  come  to  him." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         147 

"  I  do  hope  he  will  get  over  it,"  Natalie  said. 

"  We  all  trust  so,"  replied  his  sister.  "  It  means 
so  much  to  him  in  his  success  with  that  chemical 
firm.  Roy  really  overworked,  trying  to  solve  some 
chemical  problem,  and  that  brought  on  a  breakdown. 
Only  that  the  doctor  thought  it  best  for  us  to  keep 
away  from  him  a  little  while,  I  should  be  with  him 
now." 

Rose  did  not  say  so,  but  doubtless  she,  too,  wished 
she  could  help  to  minister  to  Roy.  For  between  the 
two  was  a  bond  of  more  than  mere  friendship.  And 
presently  Rose  went  off  by  herself  in  the  green  and 
silent  woods. 

"  Poor  girl,"  murmured  Natalie.  "  I  know  how 

she  must  feel.  Bob  was  ill  once But  there,  you 

don't  want  to  hear  about  the  troubles  of  an  old 
married  couple !  "  and  her  merry  laugh  rang  out. 

There  were  glorious  days  in  the  woods,  at  Camp 
Natalie.  The  girls  went  fishing  a  number  of  times, 
and  explored  little-travelled  trails  through  the  forest. 
But  they  did  not  go  far  enough  to  get  lost,  and  Mrs. 
Rachlin  was  almost  as  expert  in  the  woods  as  was 
her  guide-husband.  She  led  forth  the  little  parties, 
after  her  work  in  camp  was  done,  and  many  were  the 
hidden  mysteries  of  the  forest  that  she  laid  bare. 

Aunt  Theodora,  too,  enjoyed  this  life  in  the 
open. 

"  I  think,  really,"  she  said,  in  her  precise  little 
way,  "  that  this  is  more  educating  than  some  trips 
to  Europe.  One  gets  so  tired  of  following  in  the 


148        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

beaten  paths,  even  of  knowledge.  This  is  positively 
a  revelation." 

"  I  am  so  glad  it  isn't  boring  you,"  said  Sylvia. 

"  Boring  me !  My  dear,  I  would  never  be  bored 
where  you  girls  were !  " 

"  Which  is  very  nice  for  you  to  say,  at  any  rate," 
laughed  Hazel. 

"Oh,  I  mean  it!"  declared  "Guardy!"  as  the 
girls  affectionately  called  Mrs.  Brownley  at  times. 

"  Positively  I'm  ashamed  of  my  appetite ! "  said 
Hazel,  after  one  meal.  "  But,  really,  I  never  ate 
anything  that  tasted  so  good  as  the  food  does  here. 
I  think  it  must  be  the  air." 

"  Or  the  cooking !  "  added  Alice. 

"  The  cooking  certainly  has  much  to  do  with  it," 
declared  Sylvia.  "  Mrs.  Rachlin  gets  up  some  won 
derful  dishes.  I  really  don't  see  how  she  does  it  with 
the  limited  means  at  her  disposal." 

"  Oh,  I'm  used  to  rough  cooking,"  said  the  person 
under  discussion.  "  You  girls  are  easy  compared  to 
lumbermen,  and  I've  cooked  for  them  when  my  hus 
band  has  been  in  charge  of  a  gang.  They  certainly 
can  eat !  "  and  she  shook  her  head  in  remembrance. 

The  delights  of  the  water  added  to  the  pleasure 
of  the  girls  and  their  friends  at  Camp  Natalie.  They 
had  sent  for  canoes,  which  were  brought  over  on  a 
wagon,  and  one  day  they  set  out  to  explore  a  small 
but  rather  rapid  and  turbulent  stream  connected 
with  Shedd  Lake. 

The  four  Nowadays  Girls,  in  two  canoes,  went  off 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         149 

by  themselves,  for  Mrs.  Brownley  would  not  trust 
herself  in  one  of  the  frail  craft,  and  Natalie  and 
Bob  voted  for  a  quiet  and  rather  solitary  stroll 
through  the  woods. 

"  Now  do  sit  quiet,  Rose,"  begged  Sylvia,  who 
was  in  the  bow  of  one  craft,  while  Rose  was  in  the 
stern.  Hazel  and  Alice  were  in  like  positions  in 
another  canoe. 

"  Sit  quiet !    Don't  I  always  ?  "  Rose  demanded. 

"  You  do  except  when  you  see  an  old  stump  or 
floating  log  and  think  it's  an  alligator ! "  Sylvia 
chided. 

"  As  if  she  didn't  know,  by  this  time,  that  alli 
gators  are  unknown  reptiles  in  the  Adirondacks," 
laughed  Alice. 

So  they  started  off  in  the  canoes,  threading  their 
way  in  and  out  along  the  winding  stream,  now  float 
ing  lazily  under  some  overhanging  boughs,  and  again 
moving  rapidly  down  some  little  stretch  where  the 
waters  bubbled  and  foamed  over  the  stones  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  have  that  particular  section  desig 
nated  as  "  rapids." 

"  Look  out,  girls ! "  Sylvia  called  back  to  Alice 
and  Hazel,  whose  canoe  had  dropped  astern. 
"  Here's  a  bad  passage  just  ahead." 

"  All  right.    We  see  it !  "  answered  Hazel. 

"  Now  do  sit  steady,  Rose !  "  pleaded  Sylvia. 

"  Steady  it  is ! "  Rose  answered,  plying  her  paddle 
carefully. 

Whether  she  disobeyed  the  injunction,  or  whether 


150        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

she  gave  a  wrong  turn  to  the  broad  blade,  will  never 
be  known,  but  just  as  the  canoe  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  swirling  water  there  was  a  sudden  scream  from 
Rose,  echoing  ones  from  Hazel  and  Alice,  and  the 
craft  containing  Sylvia  and  her  chum  rolled  over, 
spilling  them  both  out. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  MASQUERADE 

"  STEADY  !    Back  water ! " 

It  was  Hazel  who  gave  the  command,  and  the  mo 
mentary  feeling  of  panic  that  had  swept  over  Alice 
passed. 

"  Over  that  way ! "  Hazel  went  on,  nodding  to 
indicate  that  she  meant  to  steer  their  canoe  toward 
a  bit  of  still  water,  an  eddy  formed  under  an  over 
hanging  bank  of  the  stream. 

"  All  right ! "  was  the  tense  reply  of  her  chum, 
and  a  moment  later  the  light  craft  shot  past  the 
rolling  overturned  one  of  Sylvia  and  Rose,  and  was 
in  quiet  water. 

Meanwhile,  after  the  first  sudden  plunge  into  the 
stream — a  plunge  that  deprived  them  of  their 
breath  for  an  instant — the  two  girls  who  had  been 
spilled  out  regained  control  of  themselves. 

The  Nowadays  Girls  had  the  almost  invaluable 
faculty  of  remaining  cool,  or  quickly  becoming  cool 
in  emergencies. 

This  had  been  proved  in  a  number  of  instances  in 
times  past,  when  they  had  been  in  no  little  danger. 
Once  there  was  an  incipient  fire  at  Miss  Stevenson's 
school,  and  the  alarm  drill  was  called  for.  It  re- 

151 


152         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

mained  for  our  four  friends  and  a  few  others,  to 
lead  to  safety  the  majority  of  the  school,  and  for 
this  bravery  there  had  been  no  small  thanks  and 
honour. 

So  now,  in  this  time  of  danger,  the  two  girls  who 
were  in  a  place  of  safety  remained  calm  and  col 
lected  and  were  ready  for  rescue  work.  Fortunately, 
however,  the  water  of  the  stream  was  not  deep.  It 
could  hardly  be  so  and  fuss  and  foam  over  the  rapids 
in  the  way  it  did.  So  Rose  and  Sylvia,  after  having 
been  rolled  over  and  over  a  number  of  times,  during 
which  period  they  clung  to  the  paddles,  found  them 
selves  in  comparatively  still  water,  and  struck  out 
for  shore. 

It  was  then  that  the  wisdom  of  Hazel  and  Alice 
showed  itself,  for  they  were  at  the  bank,  waiting  for 
their  companions.  There  was  no  need  for  them  to 
leap  in  to  the  rescue,  for  they  saw  that  Sylvia  and 
Rose  were  both  swimming  well,  in  spite  of  their  wet 
and  clinging  garments.  Their  dresses  were  light 
summer  ones,  which  were  not  much  more  hampering 
than  bathing  suits  would  have  been.  And  they  wore 
light,  rubber-soled  boating  shoes. 

"  Catch  hold !  "  cried  Hazel,  flinging  to  Rose,  who 
was  in  advance  of  Sylvia,  a  long  rope  they  carried 
in  the  canoe  for  mooring  purposes.  The  coils 
straightened  out,  and  the  end  of  the  line  fell  near  the 
swimming  girl. 

"  All  right ! "  Rose  answered,  as  she  caught  hold, 
and  a  moment  later  she  was  being  pulled  toward  the 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         153 

bank,  suspending  her  swimming  strokes,  for  she  was 
a  little  exhausted,  not  only  by  her  efforts,  but  by 
the  rolling  and  tumbling  process  to  which  she  had 
been  subjected  when  the  canoe  upset. 

"  We'll  be  ready  for  you  in  a  moment,  Sylvia ! " 
called  Hazel. 

"  Don't  worry,  I  can  touch  bottom,"  was  the  reas 
suring  answer,  and,  to  prove  it,  Sylvia  stood  up,  a 
dripping  and  dishevelled  figure,  but  a  smiling  one, 
nevertheless.  It  took  more  than  a  ducking  to  disturb 
Sylvia  Pursell. 

Rose,  who  had  taken  a  little  different  course  from 
that  followed  by  her  companion  in  misfortune,  now 
found  herself  in  water  that  was  not  so  deep  but  that 
she  could  stand  up,  which  she  did,  still  keeping  hold 
of  the  rope. 

"  Well,"  said  Sylvia,  finally,  after  she  had  caught 
her  breath,  and  wrung  enough  water  from  her  fallen 
hair  so  that  it  ceased  to  run  in  little  rivulets  down 
her  face.  "Well!" 

"  Most  decidedly — well !  "  exclaimed  Alice.  "  A 
very  wet  well  indeed!  How  did  it  happen?  " 

"  Don't  ask  me — ask  Rose,"  laughed  Sylvia.  She 
could  laugh  now,  though  it  had  seemed  serious  enough 
for  the  moment. 

"  It  wasn't  my  fault,"  her  companion  asserted, 
smiling  across  the  water  that  separated  them.  Be 
hind  them  foamed  the  little  rapid,  filling  the  air 
with  its  insistent  murmur. 

"  I  guess  we  didn't  make  allowances  for  the  speed 


154-        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

and  strength  of  the  current,"  Sylvia  said.  "  It 
seemed  to  grip  the  canoe  in  a  moment." 

"By  the  way,  where  is  the  canoe?"  asked  Hazel. 

They  looked  down-stream,  and  saw  their  boat  ap 
parently  moving  by  itself  over  the  tops  of  the  low 
bushes.  It  was  turned  upside  down  and  was  bob 
bing  about  in  a  most  unaccountable  manner. 

"  Look — look  at  that !  "  fairly  gasped  Alice,  from 
her  position  on  the  bank. 

"  Why,  what  does  it  mean  ?  "  asked  Hazel,  faintly. 

The  four  girls  watched  the  canoe  with  increasing 
astonishment.  It  seemed  to  be  moved  by  spirit  hands, 
gliding,  upside  down,  over  the  tops  of  the  bushes  in 
a  curious  undulating  fashion. 

"  Could  it  have  struck  a  rock,  and  bounced  out  on 
shore?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  If  it  struck  a  rock  with  enough  force  for  that, 
it  would  be  in  pieces,  instead  of  whole,  as  it  seems 
to  be,"  Sylvia  answered. 

"  But  isn't  it  remarkable?  "  murmured  Alice. 

"  To  say  the  least — yes,"  agreed  Rose. 

Then,  as  the  girls  watched,  the  canoe  seemed  to 
sink  down  in  the  bushes,  as  a  magician  causes  a  cer 
tain  card  to  appear  from  the  centre  of  the  pack,  and 
to  descend  again. 

"  This  must  be  seen  to,"  Sylvia  declared,  with 
energy.  "  We  can't  have  any  white  magic  like  this 
going  on  without  making  an  investigation.  Come  on, 
Rose." 

She  started  wading  toward  shore. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         155 

"  Better  wait  until  we  pull  Rose  in,  and  then  we'll 
fling  you  the  rope,"  advised  Alice. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  need  the  rope,  I  can  walk  without 
that,"  declared  Rose. 

"  Better  not  try,"  suggested  Sylvia.  "  There  may 
be  some  deep  holes  between  here  and  shore.  Keep 
hold  of  the  rope,  then  I'll  use  it.  And  after  that 
we'll  see  if  our  canoe  has  taken  unto  itself  wings 
and  flown  away." 

There  was  no  need  for  the  line  from  shore,  as  it 
developed,  and  soon  Rose  and  Sylvia,  after  safely 
wading  to  the  bank,  joined  their  more  fortunate  com 
panions.  Alice  and  Hazel  made  fast  their  canoe, 
and  Rose  and  Sylvia  wrung  as  much  water  as  pos 
sible  from  their  skirts,  then  all  four  started  toward 
the  place  where  the  canoe  had  been  observed  to  so 
oddly  nestle  amid  the  underbrush. 

The  girls  found  a  fairly  good  path  along  the  shore, 
and  following  this,  they  turned  in  and  out,  as  the 
trail  led,  bending  itself  to  the  curves  of  the  stream, 
until  they  suddenly  emerged  into  a  small  clearing. 

And  there,  sitting  by  the  canoe,  which  had  been 
turned  in  a  most  favorable  position  so  that  the  sun 
might  dry  it  out,  was  a  bronzed  young  man  who  was 
gravely  contemplating  his  wet  and  dripping  legs  that 
were  clad  in  khaki  trousers. 

"  Oh ! "  exclaimed  Sylvia,  faintly,  as  she  saw  the 
young  man  slowly  turn  his  head  in  the  direction  of 
the  sound  caused  by  the  girls  pushing  their  way  past 
the  bushes  that  overhung  the  trail. 


156        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  So,  that  was  what  made  the  canoe  behave  in  such 
a  mysterious  way !  "  murmured  Hazel. 

"  He  must  have  pulled  it  out  of  the  water,"  sug 
gested  Alice. 

Rose  stood  looking  at  the  young  man,  saying 
nothing. 

As  for  the  youth  himself,  he  rose  to  his  feet,  thereby 
disclosing  the  fact  that  he  was  rather  tall.  He  wore 
no  hat,  but  a  half-military  salute  toward  his  brown, 
curling  hair  made  up  for  what  doubtless  would  have 
been  a  deferential  removal  of  his  head-gear  had  he 
worn  any. 

"  Are  you  looking  for  a  lost,  strayed  or  otherwise 
missing  canoe?"  he  asked,  at  the  same  time  motion 
ing  toward  the  one  on  the  grass  near  him. 

"  Yes,  that  is  ours,"  said  Sylvia.  "  We  had  an 
upset  in  the  rapids." 

"  I  guessed  as  much,"  the  stranger  said.  "  I  was 
about  to  go  in  search  of  the  owners,  fearing  some 
accident  might  have  happened,  but  you  have  saved 
me  a  journey.  Perhaps  I  can  be  of  some  assist 
ance  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  I  believe  we  are  all  right  now," 
Sylvia  said.  "  We  held  on  to  our  paddles.  We — 

She  started  forward,  as  though  to  prove  her  claim 
to  the  canoe  by  exhibiting  the  paddles,  but  Rose 
pulled  her  back. 

"  Don't  go ! "  came  the  half-frantic  whisper. 
"  You're  a  sight,  and  so  am  I !  Let  Hazel  and  Alice 
walk  ahead.  They  aren't  dripping  wet  and  their  hair 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         157 

isn't  hanging  seven  ways  for  Sunday.  Let  them 
go  ahead ! " 

"  Oh !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia,  comprehendingly.  "  Yes, 
I  guess  you're  right,  Rose.  We  don't  look  exactly 
presentable." 

The  young  man  had  waited  inquiringly  as  this 
little  discussion  was  in  progress,  and  if  he  understood 
the  nature  of  it  he  gave  no  sign. 

Concealed  by  the  friendly  and  effectual  screen  of 
bushes  the  change  was  made,  bringing  Alice  and 
Hazel  into  the  vanguard,  and  letting  Sylvia  and 
Rose  take  up  a  position  in  the  rear.  A  hasty  glance 
over  the  trail  they  had  come  showed  no  enemy  at 
their  backs,  and  they  were  sufficiently  guarded  by 
underbrush  on  either  side  of  the  path  to  prevent  a 
flank  attack. 

"  I'll  put  the  canoe  back  in  the  stream  for  you,  in 
a  few  minutes,"  the  young  man  went  on.  "I  was 
letting  the  water  drain  out  of  it.  I  was  fishing  just 
about  here,"  he  said,  "  when  I  saw  it  coming  down 
stream.  I  guessed  what  had  happened  and  waded 
out  to  get  it.  Then  I  put  it  over  my  head  and  took 
it  to  shore." 

"  Oh !  That  was  what  made  it  look  so  funny ! " 
exclaimed  Hazel. 

"  Funny  ?  "  the  young  man  questioned. 

"  We  could  only  see  the  boat  from  where  we  were," 
explained  Alice,  "  and  it  looked  as  though  it  were 
floating  on  top  of  the  bushes,  upside  down." 

"  Oh,  I  see,"  he  went  on,  comprehendingly.    "  You 


158        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

couldn't  see  me  because  my  head  was  under  the  canoe, 
and  you  couldn't  see  the  rest  of  me  because  the 
bushes  formed  a  screen.  Yes,  it  must  have  been 
rather  odd." 

"  It  was,"  said  Sylvia,  and  she  could  not  restrain 
a  merry  laugh. 

"  Oh ! "  exclaimed  the  young  man,  and  it  seemed 
as  though  the  laugh  had  come  in  answer  to  some 
question  he  asked  himself.  And  the  question  might 
have  been  in  regard  to  the  disappearance  of  the  two 
wet  and  dripping  girls  he  had  first  observed,  for 
Alice  and  Hazel  were  now  in  front  of  Rose  and 
Sylvia. 

"  It  was  very  good  of  you  to  save  the  canoe," 
Hazel  said.  "  It  might  have  been  dashed  to  pieces 
on  the  rocks." 

"  Oh,  it  was  past  the  danger  spot  when  I  got  it," 
the  youth  said,  with  a  smile  that  seemed  to  illuminate 
his  brown  face.  "  Don't  credit  me  with  too  much. 
I  just  grabbed  it  as  it  was  floating  past." 

"  I'm  afraid  we  spoiled  your  fishing,"  said  Alice,  at 
the  same  time  voicing  to  her  chums  a  hoarsely  whis 
pered  aside  to  the  effect :  "  Why  don't  you  two  do 
something?  Going  to  leave  it  all  to  Hazel  and  me?  " 

"  What  shall  we  say?  "  demanded  Rose. 

"  Oh,  say  '  pleased  to  meet  you,'  if  you  can't  think 
of  anything  else,"  retorted  Alice. 

"  Are  you  sure  I  can't  do  anything  for  you  ?  "  the 
youth  asked,  as  he  prepared  to  put  the  canoe  over 
his  head  and  shoulders,  in  the  most  approved  guide 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^         159 

**  carry  "  position,  and  start  for  the  water  with  it. 
"  I'd  like  to  help  you." 

"  Thank  you,  we  are  all  right,"  Alice  said.  "  We 
are  going  back  to  camp." 

"  Oh,  then  you  are  camping  here?  "  he  asked,  and 
Rose  said  afterward  that  his  voice  had  a  "  hopeful " 
sound. 

"  Just  for  a  little  while,"  Hazel  answered,  waving 
her  hand  indefinitely  toward  the  woods. 

"  Ah,  I  see.  I'm  a  camper  also,"  he  added,  but  he 
gave  no  further  information  about  himself. 

"  If  I  might  suggest,"  he  said,  as  he  shouldered 
the  light  canoe,  "  it  might  be  better  for  me  to  take 
this  for  you  past  the  rapids.  They  are  rather  hard 
to  traverse  up-stream,  and  they  are  high  from  the 
rain.  You  won't  have  any  trouble  once  you  get  past 
the  rough  place,  however.  Let  me  put  the  boat  in 
the  water  for  you  a  little  farther  up." 

"  Oh,  that  is  entirely  too  much  trouble !  "  protested 
Sylvia. 

"  No,  indeed !  "  he  said,  quickly.  "  I'm  glad  to  be 
able  to  help  you." 

The  girls  turned  to  go  back  along  the  trail  they 
must  follow  in  order  to  get  past  the  rapids.  This 
turn  brought  Sylvia  and  Rose  in  the  rear,  and  directly 
behind  them  was  the  youth  with  the  canoe. 

"  Oh ! "  exclaimed  Rose,  as  she  thought  of  her 
dripping  garments  and  dishevelled  hair.  It  was  the 
very  thing  they  had  sought  to  avoid. 

"  He  can't  see  us  with  the  canoe  over  his  head," 


160         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

declared  Sylvia.    "  If  we  change  now  he'll  laugh !    Go 


on! 


i  » 


And  go  on  they  did. 

The  other  canoe  was  found  safely  floating  in  the 
deep  eddy  where  it  had  been  moored,  and  a  little 
later  the  one  that  had  overturned,  now  righted  and 
comparatively  dry,  was  put  in  the  stream  at  a  point 
past  the  rapids. 

"  Now  I'll  carry  the  other  one  there  for  you,  and 
you  won't  have  much  trouble  paddling  back,"  the 
young  man  said.  And  in  spite  of  the  rather  half 
hearted  protests  of  the  girls,  this  he  did. 

By  this  time  the  warm  sun  and  the  wind  had  done 
much  toward  drying  the  garments  of  Sylvia  and 
Rose.  And  they  had  managed  to  put  up  their  hair 
in  some  sort  of  fashion  that,  though  they  did  not 
realize  it,  was  wonderfully  becoming. 

"  Now  I  think  you'll  be  all  right,"  the  young  man 
said,  when  the  four  girls,  in  the  two  boats,  were  ready 
to  paddle  back. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  And  thank  you  so  much ! "  said 
Sylvia,  warmly.  Her  thanks  were  echoed  in  a  chorus 
by  the  others. 

Again  with  that  graceful,  half-military  salute  to 
ward  his  bared  head,  the  bronzed  youth  watched  them 
paddle  away.  And  it  was  not  until  they  were  around 
the  bend  of  the  stream  that  Alice  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  we  never  asked  his  name !  " 

"  Nor  told  ours !  "  added  Hazel. 

"  Why  should  we?  "  demanded  Sylvia. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         161 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  was  Hazel's  slow  retort. 

They  paddled  slowly  back  to  camp,  where  Mrs. 
Brownley  was  not  a  little  exercised  over  the  upset. 

"  It  was  nothing !  "  Sylvia  said.  "  We  get  used 
to  such  things  nowadays." 

This  was  really  the  only  little  accident  that  marred 
the  camping  outing,  and  that  did  not  so  much  mar 
it  as  it  marked  it.  Two  or  three  days  afterward 
the  girls  went  canoeing,  and  successfully  passed  the 
rapids.  But  they  saw  nothing  of  the  young  man. 
Indeed,  though  the  eyes  of  all  four  roved  through 
the  woods  and  along  the  wilderness  trails,  not  one 
would  admit  that  she  was  looking  for  anything  or 
any  one  in  particular. 

Then  came  the  day  when  they  went  back  to  the 
Antlers.  They  had  spent  a  glorious  week  in  the 
woods. 

As  the  campers  reached  the  porch,  to  be  made  wel 
come  by  their  hotel  friends,  they  saw  a  group  gath 
ered  about  the  bulletin  board. 

"  I  wonder  what  that  means  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Let's  look,"  suggested  Sylvia. 

They  found  it  was  an  announcement  of  a  mas 
querade  dance  to  be  given  two  nights  hence. 

"  Oh,  we  simply  must  go  to  that !  "  cried  Hazel. 

"  Surely  !  "  agreed  Alice. 

"  But  what  about  costumes  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  We'll  make  our  own.  Masks  will  be  easy  to  get, 
I  fancy,"  Sylvia  said.  "  We'll  make  inquiries." 

They  found  that  masks  of  various  sorts  were  easily 


162        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

obtainable,  and  some  costumes  also,  though  most  of 
the  ladies  were  going  to  make  their  own,  out  of  simple 
materials. 

Preparations  for  the  masque  fete  went  merrily  on, 
and  none  took  more  interest  in  it  than  our  Nowadays 
Girls. 

"  The  usual  penny,"  said  Rose,  suddenly,  one  day, 
as  the  four  sat  in  Sylvia's  room,  sewing.  Rose 
looked  at  Hazel  as  she  thus  challenged  her. 

"Penny?    For  what?  " 

"  Your  thoughts,  of  course.  You're  in  a  brown 
study  and  the  shade  doesn't  at  all  match  your  dress." 

"  Oh,  I  was  thinking —  Hazel  stopped  sud 

denly. 

"  She  was  thinking  of  the  young  man  of  the 
woods,"  declared  Sylvia,  with  a  laugh. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE  MYSTIC  MOON 

SOFTLY  the  musicians  played  behind  a  bank  of  palms. 
Softly  shone  the  mystic  moon  outside,  brighter  even 
than  the  lights  of  the  ballroom,  for  they  had  been 
turned  low,  since  it  was  not  yet  the  hour  to  trip 
the  light  fantastic.  The  melody  came  only  in  haunt 
ing  strains,  a  ripple  from  the  piano  as  the  player 
tried  the  keys  in  some  snatch  of  a  onestep,  the  half- 
sobbing  voice  of  the  violin  in  a  haunting,  dreamy 
waltz,  the  mellow  trill  of  the  flute,  and  the  more 
military  sound  of  the  French  horn.  The  musicians 
were  making  ready. 

Now  and  then,  through  the  corridors  of  the  hotel 
flitted  strange  figures.  Figures  whose  faces  were  con 
cealed  by  masks.  They  glided  here  and  there,  into 
rooms  and  out  again. 

And  of  mysterious  import  were  many  whispered 
messages  that  floated  up  and  down  the  corridors. 

"  Have  you  any  more  powder?  " 

Surely  a  strange  "  engagement  "  that  needed  pow 
der  on  a  night  like  that. 

"  I  want  some  pins !  " 

"  I  shall  have  to  take  a  tuck  in  it." 

"  My  slippers  will  never  stay  on  when  I  get  to 
dancing ! " 

163 


164         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Use  a  rubber  band  around  your  instep.  It  won't 
show  much ! " 

"  Do  you  think  he'll  know  me  ?  " 

"  Never— not  in  that !  " 

"  Oh,  but  he  saw  me  getting  it !  " 

"  He  thought  it  was  for  me.  He'll  take  me  for 
you  and — 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  that  I  want  that !  " 

And  so  on. 

It  was  the  night  of  the  masquerade,  a  night  full 
of  promises  of  surprise,  a  night  of  mystery,  of  mystic 
moonlight.  The  big  hotel  was  thronged,  for  invita 
tions  had  been  general,  and  from  many  other  camps 
and  places  in  Raquette  Lake  had  come  the  merry 
makers  and  dancers. 

"Well,  are  you  almost  ready?"  asked  Sylvia,  as 
she  slipped  into  the  room  of  Alice,  not  wearing  her 
mask,  for  the  Nowadays  Girls  and  Mrs.  Brownley 
had  a  private  hall  to  themselves. 

"  Almost,  yes.    How  do  you  like  my  dress?  " 

"  It's  perfect.  I  never  thought  you  could  get  such 
a  stunning  effect  from  that  calico  and  creton." 

Alice  was  a  Dresden  shepherdess,  and  a  sweet  and 
dainty  figure  she  made. 

"  Your  own  costume  is  a  dream,  Sylvia !  " 

"  I'm  glad  it  isn't  a  nightmare,"  was  the  laughing 
retort.  Sylvia  was  attired  as  Night  in  a  black 
dress,  spangled  with  stars,  and  quarter  moons.  It 
became  her  wonderfully  well.  Her  black  mask  dan 
gled  from  her  hand.  Soon  it  would  be  time  to  don  it. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         165 

Rose  was  a  Columbine,  in  a  voluminous  clown  suit 
of  white  with  black  spots,  and  a  peaked  hat,  while 
Baby  Reed  was  Little  Miss  Muffit. 

The  girls  hoped  they  had  kept  their  secrets  well, 
and  that  none  of  the  hotel  guests  had  discovered 
the  designs  of  their  costumes.  Mrs.  Brownley  was 
to  go  just  as  herself,  in  common  with  some  of  the 
other  matrons  of  the  hotel,  who  would  act  as  chap 
erons  and  patronesses  of  the  dance,  which  was  for  a 
local  charity. 

Louder  sounded  the  entrancing  music.  The  strains 
of  it  penetrated  to  the  room  of  our  friends,  and  set 
their  feet  to  tapping  the  floor  impatiently. 

"Aren't  you  ready  yet,  Rose?  "  asked  Sylvia;  for 
they  were  waiting  for  some  last  touches  to  be  put 
to  her  dress  by  one  of  the  chambermaids. 

"  Yes — coming !  " 

They  went  out,  masked,  to  the  main  hall,  to  find 
themselves  in  a  gay  throng  of  other  maskers,  who 
were  attired  with  more  or  less  historic  semblance  to 
represent  characters,  past,  present  and  future.  This 
was  the  ladies'  dressing  floor.  The  gentlemen  were 
on  the  one  below. 

There  were  murmurs  of  "  Ohs  !  "  and  "  Ahs ! "  as 
Sylvia  and  her  chums  came  from  their  rooms. 

"  Those  are  the  four  girls ! "  came  in  whispers 
from  various  corners,  with  the  accent  on  "  the." 

"  Where's  Natalie?  "  asked  Hazel,  in  a  low  voice, 
of  Sylvia.  "  She  wanted  to  go  down  with  us." 

"  She  and  her  husband  are  going  as  Jack  and  Jill," 


166        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

explained  Sylvia.  "  But  don't  mention  it.  She 
doesn't  want  it  known  that  she  is  married." 

"  Has  she  taken,  off  her  wedding  ring?  "  Alice 
asked. 

"Indeed  not!  Brides  don't  do  that.  But  she  is 
going  to  wear  gloves.  There  she  is  now." 

A  charming  "  Jill  "  came  out  of  a  room  and  j  oined 
the  four  girls. 

There  sounded  a  crash  of  music  from  the  ballroom 
floor. 

"  Oh,  come  on !  "  begged  Hazel.  "  We're  missing 
it." 

As  they  passed  the  floor  where  the  gentlemen  were 
costuming,  a  group  passed  down  the  broad  staircase. 
There  were  clowns,  tramps,  gallants  of  the  thir 
teenth  century,  courtiers,  Puritans,  aviators,  sailors, 
soldiers  and  what-not. 

Down  the  stairs  hustled  and  bustled  the  mas- 
queraders,  eager  to  throng  into  the  place  whence  the 
music  came.  It  was  a  hesitation  waltz,  and  Sylvia 
presently  found  herself  whirling  through  it  with  a 
Spaniard  who  danced  wonderfully  well. 

"  Do  you  do  the  Marcel  ?  "  he  asked,  looking  in 
tently  at  her  as  if  to  pierce  her  identity  through  her 
mask. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  trying  to  speak  unnaturally,  for 
she  suspected  her  partner  was  a  certain  young  man 
staying  at  the  Antlers. 

He  whirled  her  about  in  the  pivot,  glided  first  on 
her  right  side,  and  then,  after  a  hesitation,  to  the 


rsl 


SYLVIA    PRESENTLY    FOUND    HERSELF    WHIRLING   THROUGH 
IT  WITH  A  SPANIARD  WHO  DANCED  WONDERFULLY  WELL 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         167 

left,  again  whirling  into  the  waltz.  She  knew  this 
dance  perhaps  better  than  any  of  the  newest  new  ones, 
and  she  was  not  a  little  gratified  when  her  partner 
remarked : 

"  That  was  beautifully  done.    Don't  you  like  it?  " 

"  Indeed,  yes.  It  is  such  a  change  from  the  plain 
hesitation." 

They  found  themselves  in  a  crush,  and  had  to 
"  lame  duck "  it  for  a  few  steps  until  they  found 
themselves  free  again. 

"  Do  you  know  what  that  reminds  me  of?  "  he 
asked,  as  they  passed  the  palm-screened  corner  where 
the  musicians  were  playing. 

"What?"  she  asked. 

"  The  hesitation.  It  reminds  me  of  a  canoe  grace 
fully  overturning  in  the  rapids " 

"  What!    You?  "  she  cried,  astonished. 

"  Even  so,  O  Night !  "  He  spoke  dramatically. 
"  I  thought  I  should  find  you  again,  but  I  looked  for 
a  Niobe." 

"  Why,  because  I  was  all  water  ?  " 

"  Somewhat,  yes.    May  I  have  the  next  dance?  " 

"  I — I  am  not  so  sure " 

"  You  had  better  be.  Come  out  on  the  veranda. 
The  moon  is  glorious."  The  music  had  stopped,  and 
as  there  had  already  been  two  encores  there  would 
be  no  more. 

Sylvia,  her  heart  beating  rather  fast,  stepped  out 
of  the  low  windows  to  the  porch  whereon  were  many 
strolling  couples.  Sylvia  was  on  her  guard.  After 


168         THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

all  it  might  be  one  of  the  hotel  guests  who  had  heard 
the  story  of  the  upset. 

A  figure  that  Sylvia  recognised  as  that  of  Alice 
came  up  to  her,  but  stopped  on  seeing  her  with  the 
Spaniard. 

"  Oh !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"Yes?"  asked  Sylvia. 

"  Nothing  now,  I'll  speak  to  you  later." 

"  Oh,  I'll  leave  you,"  said  the  Spaniard,  quickly. 
"  Remember,  I  have  the  new  dance,  O  Night,"  he  said, 
and  with  a  bow  he  was  gone. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  Alice,  in  a  whisper. 

"  The  young  man  who  saved  our  canoe." 

"Really?" 

"  So  he  says." 

"  You  can't  believe  a  word  they  say.  Did  you 
have  a  nice  dance?  " 

"Lovely!    And  you?" 

"  Perfect.  I'm  engaged  for  the  next  one.  Are 
you?" 

"  Well,  if  he  insists  on  claiming  it  I  can  hardly 
say  no.  And  he  really  does  dance  beautifully.  Have 
you  seen  Rose  or  Hazel  ?  " 

"Yes,  they  were  enjoying  themselves,  evidently. 
I  want  some  pins.  Have  you  any?  " 

Alice  was  supplied,  and  went  to  the  dressing-room. 
Sylvia  was  looking  for  Hazel  or  Rose,  when  the  music 
started  up  again.  She  saw  a  grotesquely  attired 
Dutchman  approaching,  and  wondered  if  he  would 
ask  her  to  dance. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         169 

He  did. 

"  This  is  ours,  I  believe,  O  Night,"  he  murmured. 

"Yours?    I— er— I " 

"  I  am  the  knight  of  the  overturned  canoe,  who 
wore  no  hat,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  MYSTERY  DEEPENS 

SYLVIA  did  not  know  what  to  say.  There  were  two 
explanations  possible — perhaps  more,  but  two  cer 
tainly. 

One  was  that  the  Spaniard  had  hastily  changed 
his  costume,  or  else  that  there  were  two  young  men 
who  had  penetrated  her  disguise,  and  were  conversant 
at  least  with  the  episode  of  the  overturned  canoe. 
And  both  explanations  were  feasible. 

"  I — er — I  half  promised  this  dance,"  murmured 
Sylvia.  "  I  told " 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  he  whom  you  told,"  was  the 
answer. 

"  He  was  a " 

"  Yes,  I  know.  But  pardon  me  for  pointing  out 
that  we  are  missing  part  of  it,"  and  he  led  her  in 
through  the  low  window  to  the  ballroom.  It  was  a 
onestep,  and  Sylvia  could  not  judge,  from  the  style 
of  her  partner's  dancing,  whether  or  not  he  was  the 
same  one  she  had  had  in  the  hesitation. 

"  I  trust  you  did  not  take  cold,"  he  said,  "  from 
your  immersion." 

"  Oh,  no,  not  at  all,"  Sylvia  said.  She  and  her 
chums  had  been  reasonably  sure  that  the  camping 

170 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         171 

accident  was  known  only  to  a  few  in  the  hotel,  for  it 
had  been  made  light  of,  and  canoe  upsets  were  far 
too  common  to  make  much  fuss  over.  And  yet  if  this 
were  not  the  young  man  who  had  rescued  the  canoe 
he  must  be  some  one  of  the  boarders  at  the  Antlers 
who  knew  more  about  the  episode  than  had  been 
given  out  by  the  participants. 

"  And  why  did  he  change  his  costume,  when  he 
practically  acknowledged  who  he  was  ?  "  Sylvia  asked 
herself. 

"  I  hope  you  did  not  tire  yourself  carrying  the 
canoes  ?  "  she  remarked,  casually,  after  a  period  of 
silence. 

"I?  Oh,  no.  Not  in  the  least.  Do  you  do  the 
aeroplane  in  this  dance  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"Shall  we ?» 

"  If  you  please." 

He  swung  her  into  it  with  ease  and  grace.  Then 
she  was  sure  from  his  manner  of  stepping  at  her  side 
that  this  was  the  same  dancer  who  had  been  with 
her  in  the  hesitation.  But  why  had  he  changed  his 
costume?  That  was  a  question  which  she  could  not 
answer. 

The  music  stopped,  but  there  was  at  once  an  in 
sistent  applauding  for  an  encore,  which,  after  a  few 
seconds  of  waiting,  came. 

"  Is  your  camp  near  here  ?  "  Sylvia  asked. 

"  Not  far  away.    Is  yours  ?  " 

"  No,  not  now." 


172        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Evidently  he  did  not  know  she  was  a  hotel  guest. 
The  mystery  deepened. 

"  Would  it  be  asking  too  much  to  crave  the  next 
number  ?  "  he  murmured,  when  the  last  encore  had 
been  danced  out. 

"  Well,  I— er— I " 

"  Oh,  not  if  you  are  engaged ! "  he  hastily  inter 
posed. 

Sylvia  was  not,  but  she  knew  there  would  be  no 
trouble  in  getting  a  partner. 

"  I  shall  see  you  again,  anyhow,"  he  said,  as  he 
bowed  and  walked  off.  Alice,  Hazel  and  Rose  found 
Sylvia  standing  on  the  porch  in  the  brilliant  moon 
light. 

"  Oh,  I  had  the  loveliest  dance ! "  Rose  said,  clap 
ping  her  hands.  "  He  showed  me  some  new  steps. 
He  was  dressed  as  a  Spaniard  and  he  was  the  same 
fellow  who  saved  our  canoe  for  us." 

"  He — he  was  ?  "  gasped  Sylvia.  "  Do  you  mean 
just  now?  " 

"  No,  he  didn't  save  our  canoe  just  now.  I  mean 
when  we  were  in  the  rapids." 

"  But  did  you  just  dance  this  onestep  with  him — 
with  a  Spaniard  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  did." 

"  And  did  he  claim  to  be  the  Knight  of  the  Upset 
Canoe?" 

"  No,  he  didn't  claim  to  be  anything  of  the  sort. 
But  I  knew  from  what  he  said  that  he  was  the  one. 
I  wonder  how  he  knew  me?  " 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         173 

Sylvia's  brain  was  in  a  whirl.  Who  was  the  Dutch 
man? 

"  Why  do  you  ask?  "  Rose  wanted  to  know. 

"  Oh,  nothing  in  particular.  I'll  tell  you  later. 
Here's  a  fox  trot.  I  wonder " 

Three  young  men,  as  if  moved  by  a  common  im 
pulse,  came  fairly  charging  down  on  Alice,  Rose  and 
Hazel.  The  Spaniard  was  not  one  of  them. 

Sylvia  wondered  if  she  was  to  be  left  out,  for  none 
of  the  three  approached  her. 

However,  the  music  had  played  but  a  few  more 
measures  when  Sylvia  saw  approaching  her  a  masker 
in  the  red  suit  and  face-covering  of  Mephistopheles. 
She  felt  a  little  thrill  as  it  became  evident  that  he 
meant  to  claim  her  as  his  partner. 

"Aren't  you  dancing?"  he  asked,  extending  his 
hands  in  an  invitation. 

"  Well,  I "  Sylvia  seemed  strangely  non 
committal  this  evening. 

"  Then  may  I  have  the  honour  ?  I  danced  with  you 
before,  I  believe." 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  answered,  as  he  led  her  toward  the 
ballroom. 

"  Oh,  but  yes ! "  he  insisted,  with  a  laugh.  "  I  am 
perhaps  attired  for  something  a  little  out  of  my 
— shall  we  say — element,"  he  went  on,  "  but  surely 
you  have  not  forgotten  the  Knight  of  the  Overturned 
Canoe?  "  his  voice  questioned. 

"  You — you — surely  you  are  not  he ! " 

"  Even  so,  O  Night !  " 


174        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  But  you — your " 

They  were  fox-trotting  toward  the  musicians,  and 
as  Sylvia  was  not  quite  sure  of  the  sequence  of  the 
steps  in  this  dance — at  least  with  this  partner — she 
deferred  continuing  her  remarks  until  she  had  found 
out  just  how  he  did  it. 

"  Here  is  a  new  one,  perhaps,"  he  said,  as  they 
found  themselves  in  a  rather  secluded  corner,  secluded 
for  the  moment.  They  had  just  finished  the  two-step 
glide  part  of  the  fox  trot.  "  It's  a  slide  forward, 
a  slide  back,  two  counts  each,  another  slide  forward, 
a  draw  on  two  counts  and  a  hop  on  the  fourth,"  he 
explained. 

He  executed  it  as  he  spoke,  and  Sylvia  grasped  it 
almost  at  once. 

"Like  it?  "he  asked. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  It's  quite  novel.  Where  did  you 
learn  that?" 

"  In  New  York." 

"  Oh,  you're  from  there?  " 

"  When  I'm  not  in  the  woods,  saving  canoes."  He 
laughed  in  a  boyish  fashion.  Sylvia  looked  into  his 
eyes,  but  they  told  her  nothing. 

Sylvia  glanced  around  the  room.  She  saw  neither 
the  Spaniard  nor  the  Dutchman.  Clearly  then  this 
must  be  he  who  had  masqueraded  as  both.  And  yet 
why  his  triple  change  of  costume?  There  seemed  to 
be  no  need  of  it. 

Sylvia  determined  to  find  out  about  it,  but  not  now. 
She  would  not  give  him  the  satisfaction  of  asking  too 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         175 

many  questions.  But  she  resolved  to  do  a  bit  of 
detective  work  in  the  interval  between  this  and  the 
next  dance. 

The  fox  trot  ended  in  the  tapping  accompaniment 
by  the  drummer,  and  the  musicians,  who  had  given 
three  encores,  refused  another. 

"  Will  you  have  an  ice?  "  asked  Mephistopheles. 

Sylvia  assented.  There  was  quite  a  crush  in  the 
refreshment  room,  but  her  partner  managed  to  worm 
his  way  through,  and  procured  for  her  a  plate  of 
cream  and  some  cakes. 

"  If  you  will  excuse  me,"  he  murmured,  "  I  will 
claim  the  next  dance ;  if  I  may?  " 

"  Are  you  going  to — — " 

"  See  some  of  my  friends,"  he  finished  for  her,  not 
giving  her  a  chance  to  intimate  that  he  was  going  to 
change  his  costume  again.  "  I  see  yours  approach 
ing,"  he  added,  and  Sylvia  looked  up  to  note  the  ap 
proach  of  Alice,  Hazel  and  Rose,  each  with  an  escort. 

"  Oh,  you  have  been  provided  for,"  murmured 
Alice,  as  she  saw  Sylvia  nibbling  a  macaroon  under 
her  mask,  which  came  only  to  her  lips. 

"  Yes,  I  had  Mephistopheles." 

"  We  saw  you,"  whispered  Rose. 

"  A  lovely  dancer,"  added  Hazel. 

"  Who  is  he?  "  Alice  wanted  to  know. 

Sylvia  shook  her  head,  as  the  three  young  men, 
variously  disguised,  came  back  with  refreshments  for 
the  other  girls. 

"  I  had  a  queer  Dutchman  for  the  first  half  of 


176        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

this  dance,  and  then  he  excused  himself  and  brought 
up  a  Spaniard,"  said  Hazel. 

"  You — you  did !  "  gasped  Sylvia.  She  was  more 
puzzled  than  ever,  for  she  had  seen  neither  of  her  two 
former  partners  on  the  floor. 

"  Both  dandy  dancers,"  Hazel  went  on. 

There  was  a  little  wait  and  then  another  strain 
of  music  proclaimed  the  beginning  of  another  hesita 
tion.  The  three  young  men  who  had  brought  the 
girls  to  the  refreshment  room,  escorted  them  back 
to  the  dance  floor,  and  with  murmured  pleas  that  they 
must  seek  other  partners,  left  them. 

Almost  at  once,  however,  there  bore  down  on  Alice, 
Hazel  and  Rose,  respectively  a  Spaniard,  a  Dutch 
man  and  Mephistopheles. 

Sylvia  gasped  her  surprise,  but  a  moment  later  it 
was  added  to,  for  a  thirteenth-century  cavalier,  with 
glossy  black  curls  flowing  over  his  lace  collar,  ap 
proached,  and  with  a  low  bow,  said : 

"  The  Knight  of  the  Overturned  Canoe  craves  a 
dance  with  thee,  O  Night !  " 

Sylvia  wondered  where  it  would  all  end,  and,  almost 
as  if  in  a  dream,  she  accepted  his  arm  and  went  out 
on  the  floor. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

BAD  NEWS 

THE  music  was  entrancing — a  dreamy  waltz  was 
being  played.  There  was  the  odour  of  flowers.  All 
about  were  presumably  pretty  women  and  girls — 
presumably,  for  their  masks  still  hid  their  faces. 
Outside  the  moon  shone,  still  bewitchingly.  From  be 
hind  the  bank  of  palms,  which  stirred  gently  in  the 
night  air  that  swept  in  through  the  open  windows, 
came  the  wailing  of  the  oboe,  the  shriller  crying  of 
the  violin,  the  tinkle  of  the  piano,  the  bird-like  notes 
of  the  flute,  the  mellow  call  of  the  French  horn — all 
blending  together  in  a  strain  that,  without  conscious 
effort,  seemed  to  move  one  into  the  mazy  whirl  of  the 
waltz. 

Almost  before  she  knew  it  Sylvia  found  herself 
moving  about  in  company  with  the  cavalier,  and  it 
was  a  delightful  motion,  for,  like  the  other  three 
mysterious  Knights  of  the  Canoe,  he  was  an  excellent 
dancer. 

"  I  have  been  waiting  for  this  opportunity,  O 
Night,"  he  whispered  in  Sylvia's  little  ear  that  was 
half  hidden  by  her  hair. 

"Yes?"  she  replied,  non-committally.  "Do  you 
mean  you,  or  some  of  your  friends  ?  " 

177 


178        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  he  answered, 
feigning  ignorance. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do,"  she  said,  as  she  put  out  her 
hand  to  ward  off  an  unskilful  couple  who  were  going 
around  the  wrong  way  of  the  room. 

"  Upon  my  honour 

"  Swear  not  at  all,  especially  in  this  moonlight ! " 
she  mocked. 

"  It  is  glorious ;  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Perfect." 

"  Would  you  rather  dance,  or  go  out  where  we 
can  see " 

"  Dance,"  she  said,  shortly.  She  was  going  to 
take  no  chances  of  any  practical,  or  impractical, 
jokes  being  played  in  the  shimmering  and  inconstant 
moonlight. 

"  The  moon  will  last — the  music  not,"  he  said, 
softly,  and  they  swept  on  around  the  room  in  a  slow, 
graceful  glide. 

Sylvia,  as  she  confessed  afterward,  was  just  "  dy 
ing  "  to  ask  her  cavalier  what  it  all  meant — the  four 
claimants  to  the  title  of  Knight  of  the  Overturned 
Canoe,  each  of  whom  had  appeared  in  a  different 
costume.  But  she  refrained.  She  felt  that  the  mys 
tery  would  reveal  itself  in  due  season. 

Were  there  four  young  men?  Was  it  not  the  same 
one  all  the  while,  who  had  changed  disguises  with  his 
friends,  and  so  managed  to  claim  Sylvia  in  a  different 
garb  each  time?  She  could  not  be  sure. 

Yet  there  was  an  indefinable  something  different  in 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         179 

the  dancing  of  each  of  her  four  partners.  She  was 
almost  sure  they  could  not  be  the  same. 

"  Are  you  staying  at  the  Antlers  much  longer  ?  " 
the  cavalier  asked,  as  the  music  came  to  an  end,  and 
the  dancers  vigorously  begged  for  an  encore. 

"  I  am  not  sure,"  she  answered.     "  Why?  " 

"  Oh,  I  just  wanted  to  know.  There  is  another 
dance  next  week." 

"  A  masquerade?  " 

"  No.    I  wish  it  were." 

"  So  that  you  could  hide  your  identity  further?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  who  I  am?  "  he  teased. 

"  Of  course.  You  are  Harry  Blair,"  and  she  pur 
posely  named  at  random  a  certain  young  man  stop 
ping  at  the  hotel. 

"  Right— not !  "  he  laughed.  "  You  don't  believe 
I  saved  your  canoe?  " 

"  There  are  too  many  claimants  to  the " 

"  Honour,"  he  hastily  interposed.  "  Don't  hesi 
tate  to  say  it." 

"  Oh,  it  wasn't  that,  so  much  as  it  was " 

The  music  cut  in  on  their  talk  with  a  blare  of  drum 
and  trumpet,  and  once  more  they  were  off  in  the 
dance. 

"What  were  you  going  to  say?"  he  persisted, 
when  there  came  a  lull. 

"  Nothing  of  any  consequence." 

And  so  the  small  talk  went  on.  There  came  more 
numbers,  and  the  cavalier,  the  Dutchman,  Mephis- 
topheles  and  the  Spaniard  danced  in  turn  with  Sylvia, 


180        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Rose,  Hazel  and  Alice.  The  other  three  girls  were 
as  puzzled  as  Sylvia  had  been. 

"  Who  can  they  be  ?  "  asked  Hazel,  when  they  were 
in  the  dressing-room,  just  before  the  signal  for  un 
masking  was  to  be  given. 

"  Haven't  the  least  idea,"  Sylvia  replied. 

"  Do  you  really  think  they  can  be  one  and  the 
same  young  fellow  who  helped  us  with  the  canoes  ?  " 
Rose  demanded.  "  Or  is  there  more  than  one?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  J^flice. 

"  Well,  they  might  have  changed  clothes,  and  cer 
tainly  one  could  tell  the  other  enough  details  so  that 
all  would  know  just  what  happened  that  day,"  Rose 
insisted. 

"  We'll  soon  know,"  Sylvia  said.  "  There  they  are, 
all  four  together,  and  they're  looking  this  way  as  if 
they  expected  us  to  come  out.  They're  going  to  give 
the  signal  to  unmask !  " 

It  was  on  the  stroke  of  twelve,  and  the  trumpeter 
had  come  to  the  edge  of  the  music  platform  to  sound 
the  call  that  would  mean  the  revealing  of  identities 
hitherto  hidden. 

"  Let's  not  go  out,"  suggested  Rose. 

"  The  idea  !  "  Alice  cried.  "  When  they're  such 
good  dancers?  Much  better  than  any  of  the  fellows 
at  the  hotel.  I  wonder  who  they  can  be?  It's  such 
fun ! " 

Sylvia  gazed  out  of  a  window  into  the  moonlight, 
and  wondered  also.  She  rather  liked  the  title, 
"  Knight  of  the  Overturned  Canoe,"  but  she  felt  sure 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         181 

that  only  one  was  entitled  to  it — and  that  one,  some 
how  or  other,  she  felt  was  the  last  partner  she  had 
danced  with — the  cavalier.  He  had  rather  a  master 
ful  way  with  him. 

The  trumpet  blared  out.  There  was  a  moment  of 
silence,  then  came  the  taking  off  of  masks,  and  gasps 
of  astonishment  vied  with  peals  of  merriment,  for 
there  were  many  surprises. 

Sylvia  kept  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  group  of  four 
young  men,  the  Dutchman,  the  Spaniard,  Mephis- 
topheles  and  the  cavalier.  They  unmasked  together, 
and,  in  a  straight  line,  like  the  advance  of  some  guard 
of  soldiers,  came  toward  the  Nowadays  Girls. 

"  Oh,  I  feel  like — running  away  !  "  murmured  Rose, 
her  cheeks  hot  with  blushes. 

"  Don't  you  dare !  "  said  Alice.  "  They  all  look 
like  nice  fellows." 

Sylvia  gave  a  quick  glance  at  the  cavalier.  Yes, 
she  was  right.  He  was  the  Knight  of  the  Overturned 
Canoe,  the  same  bronze-faced  youth  with  crisp,  curl 
ing  hair.  He  smiled  at  her,  showing  two  rows  of 
white,  even  teeth. 

Sylvia  smiled  in  welcome. 

The  other  three  were  evidently  his  chums,  for  there 
existed,  it  seemed,  a  jolly  and  excellent  understand 
ing  among  them.  In  a  solid  phalanx  they  advanced 
toward  the  girls. 

"  Shall  we  dance  with  them  ?  "  inquired  Alice. 

"  Better  wait  until  they  ask  us,"  suggested  Hazel. 

"  Oh,  they'll  ask  us  all  right,"  Sylvia  said.    "  Any- 


182        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

how,  this  is  a  Paul  Jones,  and  we'll  naturally  have  to 
dance  with  a  lot  of  strangers.  It  is  perfectly  all 
right,  I  think." 

"  So  do  I,"  declared  Rose,  with  a  new  conviction. 

"  She  likes  that  Spaniard,"  laughed  Hazel. 

"  He  dances  beautifully,"  Rose  confessed,  blush 
ing  more  vividly  than  ever. 

"  May  I  have  the  honour  ?  "  asked  the  cavalier,  ad 
vancing  to  Sylvia. 

She  nodded  and  smiled. 

"  So  there  was  but  one  real,  true  knight?  "  she 
murmured,  when  they  were  dancing. 

"  Only  one,  O  Night,  and  you  will  find  him  very 
true,"  he  whispered,  rather  earnestly. 

Sylvia  laughed,  and  it  seemed  to  vie  with  the  mellow 
notes  of  the  flute. 

"What's  the  joke?"  she  asked.  "I  mean,  how 
did  you  four  manage  it?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you,  out  in  the  moonlight,  after  this 
dance." 

She  rather  regretted  it  when  a  new  figure  in  the 
Paul  Jones  separated  him  from  her.  And  she  was 
a  little  impatient  for  the  promised  explanation.  In 
due  time  it  came.  The  dance  ended,  and  the  different 
couples  strolled  to  various  resting-places. 

Sylvia  noticed  that  Rose  was  with  the  Spaniard, 
Hazel  with  the  Dutchman  and  Alice  with  Mephis- 
topheles.  The  three  girls  followed  Sylvia  out  to  the 
piazza. 

"  Well,"  began  the  cavalier,  "  I  suppose  you  girls 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         183 

have  been  doing  all  sorts  of  wondering.  We  hope 
you'll  forgive  the  little  joke.  You  see  there  are  really 
four  of  us.  We  have  a  camp  over  near  Shedd  Lake, 
and  I  was  lucky  enough  to  be  on  hand  that  day  when 
your  canoe  upset,"  and  he  nodded  at  Sylvia  and 
Rose. 

"  When  I  went  back  and  told  the  boys,  guessing 
that  you  were  stopping  at  the  Antlers,  we  decided  to 
come  to  this  masquerade,  and  see  if  we  could  not 
mystify  you  a  bit.  I  gave  my  chums  all  the  details 
of  the  canoe  episode,  so  they  could  talk  about  it  as 
well  as  I,  and  we  each  one,  in  turn,  decided  to  pretend 
he  was  the  only  and  original  Knight  of  the  Over 
turned  Canoe. 

"  Which  we  did,  to  the  best  of  our  ability.  We 
hope  we  are  forgiven.  If  you  want  proper  introduc 
tions  to  us " 

He  broke  off  to  give  the  names  of  himself  and  his 
companions.  They  had  friends  stopping  at  the  hotel, 
and  very  soon  the  girls  were  formally  presented, 
Aunt  Theodora  also  meeting  the  youths,  and  uncon 
sciously  expressing  her  satisfaction  with  them. 

"  There  goes  the  music ! "  exclaimed  Rose,  after 
the  refreshments,  the  four  girls  having  been  escorted 
thereto  by  the  four  camping  chums. 

"  Yes,  don't  let's  miss  any  of  it,"  said  the  Spaniard. 

Once  more  they  were  dancing. 

"  But  what  I  don't  understand,"  said  Sylvia,  "  is 
why  you  came  last." 

She  was  speaking  to  the  cavalier — the  real  Knight. 


184        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  It  was  this  way,  Princess,"  he  said,  laughingly. 
"  I  could  not  reach  here  the  same  time  as  did  the 
other  fellows,  so  I  made  them  each  promise  in  turn 
to  dance  with  you  first,  and,  by  an  implied  engage 
ment,  keep  you  until  I  came.  I  arrived  in  the  nick 
of  time." 

"  And  at  one  time  I  thought  there  was  only  one 
of  you,  and  that  you  changed  your  costume  after 
every  dance,"  Sylvia  said.  "  Well,  it  was  an  enjoy 
able  surprise." 

"  Then  you  are  not  angry  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not !  " 

He  was  very  good-looking,  and  a  fine  dancer. 
Sylvia  was  only  human. 

The  masquerade  was  almost  over.  Sylvia  was 
walking  out  on  a  moonlit  path  with  the  cavalier,  who 
was  finding  out  more  about  her  than  she  imagined 
she  was  telling. 

"Sylvia,  where  are  you?"  called  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  Here,  Aunt  Theodora.  I'm  coming  right  in.  I 
suppose  you'll  say  it  is  too  damp." 

"  No,  my  dear !  But  a  telephone  message  just  came 
for  you.  I  took  it,  as  I  could  not  find  you.  It  was 
from " 

"  My  brother ! "  gasped  Sylvia,  and  her  grasp 
tightened  on  the  arm  of  her  escort. 

"  Yes,  it  was  about  your  brother,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley,  in  rather  solemn  tones.  "  He  is  not  so 
well.  You  are  to  call  up  on  long-distance,  my  dear." 


SYLVIA  walked  toward  the  hotel  office,  where  the  tele 
phone  booths  were  located. 

"  I  am  so  sorry !  "  murmured  the  cavalier.  "  If 
there  is  anything  I  can  do — or  my  chums — don't  fail 
to  let  us  know.  We'd  be  only  too  glad  to  help." 

"  Thank  you,"  Sylvia  said.  "  I  shall  be  glad  to 
let  you  know.  But  I  think  it  will  mean  that  I  shall 
have  to  go  to  my  brother.  He  is  up  at  Saranac." 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  to  see  you  leave,"  he  said,  simply. 
"  And  I  hope  you  and  your  friends  will  return." 

"  It  is  impossible  to  say,  at  least  for  a  time,"  was 
her  answer.  "  I  will  say  good-night  now." 

He  understood,  and  parted  from  her. 

"  Was  it  anything  definite  ?  "  asked  Sylvia  of  Aunt 
Theodora. 

They  were  approaching  the  telephone  booths,  and 
Sylvia  was  a  bit  nervous. 

"  I  did  not  wait  for  all  the  details,"  said  the  chap 
eron.  "  I  thought  it  better  to  let  you  talk.  Central 
said  the  line  would  be  available  if  you  called  up  within 
a  few  minutes,  as  they  are  not  very  busy  now." 

"  With  whom  were  you  speaking?  " 

"  With  that  young  man  who  went  up  with  your 
brother." 

185 


186        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Harry  Montray?  " 

"Yes.  He  said  there  was  nothing. to  be  alarmed 
about,  but  he  thought  Roy  had  gotten  to  the  point 
where  it  would  be  better  to  see  some  one  from  home. 
Probably  the  poor  fellow  is  suffering  from  an  attack 
of  good,  old-fashioned  home-sickness — or,  rather,  bad 
home-sickness,  for  it  is  a  dreadful  feeling.  I  have 
had  it  abroad,  when  I  felt  as  though  I  would  give 
anything  just  to  see  an  old  tin  peddler  from  my  home 
town." 

"^1  know,"  murmured  Sylvia. 

In  a  few  minutes  she  was  in  conversation  with  her 
brother's  friend.  She  was  much  reassured  to  know 
that,  though  Roy  was  not  so  well  as  could  be  hoped 
for,  he  was  in  no  sense  in  danger.  It  was  just 
that  his  companion  felt,  in  Roy's  present  mental  state, 
that  it  would  be  better  to  have  some  one  of  his  family 
near  him.  His  physical  health  was  good,  but  he  had 
not  been  able  to  bring  to  his  mind  the  lost  chemical 
formula.  And  this  preyed  on  him. 

"  I  will  come  up  at  once,"  Sylvia  said.  "  We  will 
start  in  the  morning." 

"  I  will  help  you  make  all  preparations,"  Mrs. 
Brownley  remarked.  "  Will  you  take  the  other  girls 
with  you?  " 

"  Of  course ;  if  they  want  to  go." 

"  As  if  we  didn't  want  to  go ! "  exclaimed  Alice, 
when  the  matter  was  mentioned  to  her  and  her  chums. 
"  Besides,  that's  what  we  came  up  here  for.  This 
lingering  in  pleasant  places  was  no  part  of  our  orig- 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         187 

inal  programme,  nice  as  it  is.  You  want  to  go ;  don't 
you,  Hazel?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  And  there's  no  need  to  ask  Rose,"  said  Alice,  but 
it  was  not  in  the  least  done  jokingly.  Rose's  face 
precluded  anything  like  that. 

And  so  the  masquerade  came  to  an  end  rather 
sadly,  and  yet  Sylvia  tried  not  to  let  it  affect  her 
too  much,  for  she  regarded  herself  in  the  light  of  a 
hostess  to  her  three  chums. 

Before  the  girls  retired,  a  message  came  to  them 
from  the  four  young  men  with  whom  they  had  danced 
so  much  that  evening.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
campers  expected  to  remain  some  time  longer  at,  or 
near,  Raquette  Lake,  and  would  be  very  glad  to 
entertain  the  young  ladies  if  they  returned. 

Sylvia  sent  back  word,  expressing  the  apprecia 
tion  of  herself  and  her  chums,  but  said  their  plans 
were  not  settled,  and  it  was  hardly  possible  that  they 
would  come  back  to  Raquette  that  summer. 

They  were  to  take  a  morning  train,  and  there  was 
not  much  of  the  night  left  in  which  to  get  rest.  Sylvia 
herself  had  very  little  sleep,  and  was  up,  almost  at 
dawn,  packing  her  trunks. 

They  were  to  go  to  Saranac  Inn,  located  on  Upper 
Saranac  Lake,  as  Roy's  place  of  sojourn,  Loneberg 
Camp,  was  located  near  there.  The  journey  of  the 
girls  was  to  be  by  rail,  though  they  had  hoped  to 
make  the  trip  by  canoes  and  other  boats — steamers 
and  motor  craft. 


188        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  But  we  really  haven't  time,"  decided  Sylvia. 
"  Perhaps  we  can  come  back  that  way,  but  it  will 
be  better  to  go  by  train,  I  think." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Rose.     "  It's  quicker." 

It  was  rather  a  surprise  to  Sylvia  and  her  chums 
to  find,  that  morning,  the  four  young  men  who  had 
danced  with  them  waiting  on  the  broad  veranda  when 
they  came  down  to  go  to  the  station. 

"  Why ! "  exclaimed  Sylvia,  blushing  rosy-red. 
"  How  did  you  get  over  from  your  camp  so  early?  " 

"  We  haven't  been  to  camp,"  replied  Felton  Ware 
— he  who  had  been  disguised  as  the  cavalier. 

"  Did  you  stay  at  the  Antlers  all  night  ?  "  asked 
Hazel. 

"  Yes,  we  couldn't  very  well  get  back  to  camp," 
said  James  Pendleton,  who  had  been  the  Dutchman. 

"  And  we  thought  we  might  be  of  some  service  to 
you,"  went  on  Felton.  "  Are  you  sure  there  isn't 
anything  we  can  do  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  no,"  Sylvia  murmured.  "  We  are 
used  to  travelling,  you  know,  and  one  of  our  club 
mottoes  is  *  Do  it  yourself.' ' 

"  What  club  is  that?  "  he  asked,  interested  at  once. 

"  The  Nowadays  Club,"  answered  Alice.  "  It's 
real  jolly." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that,"  agreed  Felton. 

The  young  men  insisted  on  accompanying  the  girls 
to  the  station,  carrying  their  satchels.  The  trunks 
had  been  sent  on  ahead  by  an  earlier  train. 

There   were   rather  prolonged   good-byes   at  the 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^          189 

depot,  and  Sylvia  was  quite  sure  she  heard  Alice  and 
Hazel  agreeing  to  send,  from  Saranac,  at  least 
souvenir  postals  to  their  friends.  But  she  was  not 
absolutely  sure,  and  her  mind  was  too  fully  occupied 
with  thoughts  of  her  ailing  brother  to  allow  her  to 
dwell  long  on  what  others  did  and  said. 

"  Well,  here  comes  the  train,"  said  Felton,  finally. 

"  And  I'm  glad  of  it ! "  murmured  Sylvia,  with 
something  like  a  sigh. 

"  What !  "  he  cried,  with  simulated  surprise. 

"  Oh,  you  know  what  I  mean,"  she  went  on. 

"  I  hope  you  have  no  more  canoe  accidents,"  said 
Felton. 

"  Well,  if  I  do,  I  hope  I  find  as  nice  a  knight  as 
you  were,"  she  answered,  rather  daringly. 

"  That's  awfully  nice ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  real 
pleasure  in  his  voice. 

Then  the  train  came  in,  and  there  was  the  usual 
bustle  and  hustle  getting  aboard.  Good-byes  were 
said  over  and  over  again,  and  hands,  caps  and  hand 
kerchiefs  were  waved  until  the  coaches  were  out  of 
sight  around  a  bend  in  the  line. 

The  four  young  men  walked  away,  rather  down 
cast,  for  they  had  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  company 
of  Sylvia  and  her  chums. 

"  Well,  old  man,"  said  James  Pendleton  to  Felton 
Ware. 

"  Not  well— ill,"  he  sighed. 

"  What's  the  matter? "  laughed  a  companion. 
"  Hard  hit?  " 


190         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Not  at  all.  Only  they  were  such  real,  jolly  girls. 
You  don't  often  meet  their  class  up  here.  The  others 
are  too  much  on  dolling-up  and  talking  society  mush. 
I  wonder  what  some  of  those  dolled-up  ones  would 
look  like  if  they  were  rolled  out  of  a  canoe  into  the 
rapids ;  tell  me  that !  " 

"  It's  beyond  me,"  was  the  honest  confession. 
"  Never  mind.  Maybe  they'll  come  back." 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  was  the  decision,  in  which  all 
agreed. 

Meanwhile  Sylvia  and  her  chums  were  speeding  as 
fast  as  the  train  could  take  them  to  Saranac.  They 
had  engaged  rooms  by  telegraph  at  Saranac  Inn,  and 
from  there  they  would  start  for  Roy's  camp,  which 
was  some  miles  away. 

"  Will  you  go  on  to-night  ?  "  asked  Rose  of  Sylvia, 
as  they  sat  together  in  the  train. 

"  It  depends  on  what  time  we  get  in.  If  we  arrive 
early  enough  I  shall,  provided  we  can  get  back  to 
the  Inn  at  any  reasonable  hour.  I  don't  want  to 
disturb  Roy  too  late,  though." 

"  No,  it  wouldn't  be  wise." 

But  if  Sylvia  hoped  to  see  her  brother  that  night 
she  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  There  was  a 
slight  accident  on  the  railroad,  not  involving  the 
train  of  our  friends,  however,  and  it  was  quite  late 
when  they  arrived  at  Saranac. 

"  Well,  we  won't  see  Roy  to-night,"  Sylvia  decided 
after  dinner.  "  But  I'll  see  if  I  can  get  Harry  on 
the  'phone." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

WORRIMENT 

TELEPHONING  in  the  Adirondacks  was  not  such  an 
easy  matter  as  it  is  in  New  York,  as  Sylvia  soon  dis 
covered.  It  developed  that  when  Harry  had  called 
her  up  he  had  been  obliged  to  go  some  distance  from 
Loneberg  Camp,  and  Sylvia  had  neglected  to  get  the 
number  of  the  station  whence  he  talked  to  her. 

In  consequence,  though  she  made  a  number  of 
inquiries,  she  was  unable,  from  Saranac  Inn,  to  get 
in  communication  with  her  brother  that  night,  and 
was  obliged  to  give  over  the  attempt. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  We  will  go 
to  them  the  first  thing  in  the  morning.  You  girls 
need  a  rest,  anyhow,  and  it  may  be  better  if  you  don't 
see  Roy,  or  talk  to  him  or  Harry  and  perhaps  cause 
them  both  a  restless  night." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is  for  the  best,"  Sylvia  agreed, 
rather  wearily. 

She  was  very  tired,  for  she  had  danced  often  and 
late  the  night  before.  She  had  slept  but  little  and 
the  day's  long  journey  had  not  been  conducive  to 
rest. 

"  There's  a  dance  on  here  to-night,"  Hazel  an 
nounced,  as  she  came  into  Sylvia's  room  after  it  had 

191 


192        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

been  definitely  settled  that  Roy  could  not  be  com 
municated  with  that  night. 

"  NO  dancing  for  me,"  declared  Rose,  with  de 
cision. 

"  Nor  me,"  agreed  Sylvia. 

"You  will  all  be  better  off  in  bed,"  asserted  the 
chaperon,  "  and  so  I  officially  prescribe  that." 

Not  that  the  girls  thought  seriously  of  indulging 
in  gaiety  on  this  night. 

Their  sleep  was  not  altogether  dreamless,  though 
it  was  heavy  enough.  But  Sylvia  had  an  uneasy  con 
sciousness,  half  dreamy,  of  some  impending  trouble. 
She  could  not  shake  it  off  even  when  she  awoke  and 
found  her  room  bright  with  sunlight.  She  soon  dis 
covered  that  she  was  suffering  with  what  was  rare 
for  her — a  headache. 

"  I'm  afraid  my  Knight  of  the  Canoe  had  rather 
a  bad  effect  on  me,"  she  confessed.  "  I  want  to  look 
and  feel  my  best  when  I  meet  Roy.  I  think  I  shall 
have  my  breakfast  in  bed  this  morning.  It's  a  luxury 
I  don't  often  indulge  myself  in." 

Mrs.  Brownley  was  duly  surprised  when,  coming 
to  Sylvia's  room  a  little  later,  she  found  her  charge 
partaking  of  grapefruit,  bacon  and  eggs,  and  a  pot 
of  coffee,  comfortably  propped  up  in  bed.  A  deft 
chambermaid  was  waiting  on  Sylvia  and  serving  the 
meal. 

"Why,  my  dear,  are  you  ill?"  asked  the  chap 
eron. 

"  This    doesn't    look    like   it,"    Sylvia    answered, 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         193 

pointing  to  the  emptied  plate.  "  But  my  head  ached 
and  I  decided  to  rest." 

"  Perhaps  that  was  wise,"  agreed  Aunt  Theodora. 
"  I  must  see  how  my  other  charges  are,  though.  Do 
you  intend  to  go  see  Roy  to-day  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed.  But  I  wanted  to  be  at  my  very 
best.  We  have  time  enough.  It  isn't  such  a  great 
way  to  Loneberg  Camp." 

Mrs.  Brownley  sought  Rose,  and,  again,  somewhat 
to  the  surprise  of  the  chaperon,  she  found  that  young 
lady  also  breakfasting  in  bed. 

"  Well,  well !  "  was  her  startled  greeting.  "  Are 
you  ill,  too  ?  " 

"Why,  is  some  one  else  doing  this,  also?"  Rose 
asked. 

"  Sylvia  is." 

"  And  is  she " 

"  Not  ill,  no,  I'm  glad  to  say.  But  I  suppose  you 
have  the  same  idea  in  mind — looking  your  best?  " 

Rose  blushed. 

"  We  really  ought  all  to  have  stayed  in  bed  this 
morning,"  Mrs.  Brownley  went  on,  "  and  as  you 
dancing  girls  were  cheated  out  of  your  beauty  sleep 
there  is  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't  make  it  up  now. 
Rest  as  long  as  you  like,  my  dear.  We  won't  start 
for  Roy's  camp  until  after  lunch,  perhaps." 

"  But  he  may  be  anxiously  expecting — Sylvia." 

"  Or — you.  But  it  can't  be  helped.  If  anything 
were  to  arise,  any  sudden  need,  his  friend  would 
doubtless  telephone." 


194.        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Hazel  and  Alice  were  rather  more  vigorous  than 
either  Rose  or  Sylvia,  and  went  down  to  the  last 
breakfast.  Then  they  came  up  to  see  the  "  invalids," 
as  they  called  them. 

"  Indeed  I'm  no  more  of  an  invalid  than  you ! " 
exclaimed  Sylvia,  with  spirit.  "  I'm  just  getting  up 
some  reserve  strength." 

And,  though  she  did  not  know  it,  there  was  coming 
a  time  when  she  would  need  all  her  stored-up  energy. 

Inquiry  at  the  hotel  office  brought  out  the  fact  that 
Loneberg  Camp  lay  about  four  miles  distant  from 
Saranac  Inn,  near  Lake  Clear,  and  that  this  point 
could  be  reached  by  driving.  This  mode  of  convey 
ance  the  girls  and  their  chaperon  decided  on. 

As  they  learned  that  the  drive  would  not  take  long, 
they  decided  to  defer  it  until  after  lunch,  provided 
no  messages  were  received  in  the  meanwhile  from  Roy 
or  his  companion,  urging  their  visit  before  afternoon. 

"  It  will  do  us  good  to  see  a  little  of  the  lake," 
Sylvia  said. 

Upper  Saranac  Lake  is  about  eight  miles  in  length, 
and  lies  in  a  most  picturesque  section,  dotted  with 
other  lakes  and  ponds,  on  which  boating  of  many 
sorts,  from  canoeing  and  motoring  to  travel  in  small 
steamers,  may  be  enjoyed.  There  was  good  fishing 
in  the  lake,  the  girls  were  told. 

"  But  we  can  come  back  and  enjoy  that  after  we 
have  seen  Roy,"  decided  Rose,  and  the  others  agreed 
with  her. 

They  spent  the  morning  in  going  about  the  hotel 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         195 

and  the  grounds,  venturing  out  a  little  way  on  the 
lake.  It  was  a  region  of  beauty,  and  Sylvia's  plan 
of  having  the  Nowadays  Club  take  the  first  outing 
in  the  Adirondacks  was  voted  an  unqualified  success. 

"  Better  wait,"  advised  the  recipient  of  the  im 
promptu  motion  of  thanks.  "  The  vacation  isn't 
nearly  over  yet.  You  may  all  be  sorry  you  came." 

Luncheon  time  came,  and  as  no  word  was  received 
from  Roy  or  his  companion,  Sylvia  took  heart,  and 
began  to  hope  that  her  brother's  indisposition  was 
but  a  passing  one. 

"  But  it's  just  as  well  we  came  up,"  she  said  to 
her  chums.  "  We  intended  to,  anyhow,  and  a  day 
or  two  sooner  doesn't  make  any  difference  to  us.  I 
did  intend  to  make  the  trip  by  boat ;  for  the  canoeing 
is  said  to  be  ideal  from  Raquette  Lake  on." 

"And  we  could  have  very  much  enjoyed  a  few 
more  days  at  the  Antlers,"  Hazel  said.  "  But  it  is 
just  perfect  here.  And  they  are  going  to  have  some 
dances,  too.  We'll  talk  about  them,  though,  when 
we  know  your  brother  is  better,  Sylvia,"  she  hastened 
to  add. 

"  Oh,  you  mustn't  let  my  family  affairs  put  a 
damper  on  you  girls  !  "  was  the  quick  comment.  "  I 
can't  have  that !  " 

"  Perhaps  Roy  himself  will  be  well  enough  to  come 
over  to  some  of  the  affairs,"  Rose  suggested.  "  He 
is  a  lovely  dancer." 

"  Well,  you  ought  to  know,"  said  Hazel,  signifi 
cantly. 


196        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Now,  Baby,  don't  get  sarcastic ! "  murmured 
Alice,  soothingly. 

But  Rose  did  not  seem  to  mind. 

The  drive  to  Lake  Clear  was  entrancing.  It  was 
along  a  road  that  led  through  the  forest,  where  the 
trees  met  overhead  in  an  arch  of  green.  The  forest 
was  as  inviting  as  the  lake  had  been,  and  the  girls 
planned,  later,  to  spend  a  day  or  so  walking  along 
the  woodland  trails. 

"  Roy  is  so  fond  of  the  woods,"  Sylvia  remarked. 
"  When  he  knew  he  was  to  come  up  here  he  bright 
ened  up  at  once,  though  he  was  in  the  depths  of 
despair  over  losing  that  chemical  secret." 

"  Do  you  think  he'll  ever  discover  it  again  ?  "  asked 
Hazel.  * 

"  I  hope  so.  The  doctor  said  he  might  if  he  could 
have  perfect  rest." 

"  Well,  I  can't  imagine  a  more  perfect  place  to 
rest  than  up  here,"  added  Rose. 

"  It's  a  bit  lonesome,"  said  Alice,  with  a  glance  at 
the  dense  woods  on  either  side  of  the  waggon  trail. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  with  the  right  party,"  Hazel  as 
serted. 

"  Meaning?  "  questioned  Sylvia,  with  a  glance  at 
her  chum. 

"  Any  one  you  like,  my  dear." 

"  Any  one  or  any  ones,"  declared  Rose.  "  I  notice 
Hazel  believes  there  is  at  least  more  companionship 
in  numbers." 

"  I'm  not  a  bit  worse  than  you,  my  dear." 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         197 

"  Don't  let's  spoil  the  day  by  even  that  sort  of  a 
discussion,"  Sylvia  begged. 

Mrs.  Brownley  was  in  front  with  the  driver,  and 
the  girls  occupied  the  other  two  seats  of  the  big 
carriage. 

It  was  the  height  of  the  Adirondack  season,  and 
they  saw  many  evidences  of  campers  and  other  sum 
mer  folk  enjoying  themselves.  It  was  a  delightful 
drive,  and  when  Lake  Clear  was  reached  they  started 
off  on  a  little  side  road  toward  Loneberg  Camp. 

Though  it  was  called  a  camp,  it  was  really  a  hotel 
of  the  smaller  kind,  with  enough  comforts  and  con 
veniences  to  make  it  an  ideal  place  to  spend  a  vaca 
tion,  if  one  liked  solitude,  for  it  was  well  off  in  the 
woods. 

There  were  not  many  guests,  but  some  young  chaps 
on  the  porch  looked  hopeful  as  the  four  pretty  girls 
drove  up.  There  was  a  noticeable  air  of  life  about 
them,  as  they  "  spruced-up." 

"  Mr.  Montray  and  Mr.  Pursell,"  repeated  the 
clerk,  when  Mrs.  Brownley  had  made  inquiries  at  the 
desk.  "  Yes,  they  were  here,  but  they  left  this  morn- 
ing." 

"  They  left  this  morning !  "  echoed  Sylvia,  blankly 
surprised. 

"  Yes,  miss.  It  seems  Mr.  Pursell  was  expecting 
friends,  and  when  they  did  not  come  he  and  his  com 
panion  left  about  ten  o'clock." 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  sighed  Sylvia.  "  And  to  think  that 
we  might  have  been  here  if  I  hadn't — well,  there's  no 


198        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

use  in  lamenting,  I  suppose.  They'll  be  back  shortly, 
I  expect.  W.e'11  wait  for  them." 

"  No,  miss,  I  don't  think  they'll  be  back  to-day,'* 
the  clerk  said. 

"  Not  back  to-day !    Where  did  they  go?  " 

"  I  heard  Mr.  Pursell  say  they  were  going  to  visit 
friends  who  have  a  bungalow  on  Lower  Saranac. 
Your  brother,  is  he,  miss  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  your  brother  and  his  friend  took  some  bag 
gage  with  them,  and  I  should  say  they  were  going  to 
stay  a  week." 

"  A  week !  "  cried  Sylvia.  "  They  said  nothing  to 
me  about  it.  Was  it — was  it  rather  sudden  ?  "  she 
faltered. 

"  Yes,  I  should  say  it  was,"  the  clerk  admitted. 

"  And  my  brother,  was  he  better?  " 

"  Well,  miss,  no,  to  tell  you  the  truth.  And  I 
think  his  friend  did  not  want  him  to  leave  this  place. 
But  Mr.  Pursell  insisted,  and  they  went  away.  How 
ever,  I  have  a  letter  for  you.  Mr.  Montray  left  it 
to  be  given  to  you  if  you  came.  Probably  that  will 
explain." 

He  handed  Sylvia  a  sealed  envelope.  She  took  it 
with  a  heart  that  beat  faster  than  usual,  and  with 
a  vague  sense  of  worriment  as  if  a  calamity  might 
happen  at  any  moment.  Why  had  Roy  left  so  sud 
denly? 

Sylvia  did  not  like  it. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

MAKING  PLANS 

WHILE  her  girl  friends  looked  on  wonderingly,  and 
while  Mrs.  Brownley  conversed  in  low  tones  with  the 
hotel  clerk,  Sylvia  tore  open  the  envelope  that  had 
been  handed  her.  It  bore  her  name,  but  she  noted 
in  a  flash  that  it  was  written  in  a  scrawl,  and  not  in 
the  usually  neat,  though  character-indicating,  chi- 
rography  of  Harry  Montray.  For  Sylvia  had  had 
several  letters  from  him  regarding  her  brother  since 
the  trouble  had  come  to  him,  and  she  had  always  ad 
mired  the  firm  handwriting  of  the  young  man  who 
had  proved  such  a  friend  to  Roy. 

"  He  must  have  written  this  in  a  hurry,"  was 
Sylvia's  thought  as  she  took  from  the  torn  envelope 
the  single  sheet  of  paper. 

And  as  she  glanced  at  the  signature,  making  sure, 
first  of  all,  that  it  was  Harry's,  the  vague  sense  of 
foreboding  increased. 

Why  had  Roy  left  the  camp-hotel  so  suddenly? 
Why  had  he  not  been  content  to  stay  at  Loneberg 
until  he  had  recovered?  Whence  his  sudden  deter 
mination  to  go  some  distance  off  and  visit  friends  in 
a  bungalow  ?  And  who  were  the  friends  ?  " 

These  were  questions  Sylvia  hastily  asked  herself 
before  she  read  the  letter  so  strangely  left  for  her. 

199 


200         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

But  perhaps  a  perusal  of  it  would  settle  them.     She 
read: 

"  DEAR  Miss  PURSELL. 

"  Please  excuse  the  appearance  of  this  note,  as  I 
have  but  a  moment  to  write  it  in,  and  must  do  it 
when  Roy  does  not  see  me.  I  am  leaving  it  with  the 
clerk,  in  the  hope  that  you  will  soon  come  and  claim 
it. 

"  I  regret  to  inform  you  that  Roy,  after  showing 
every  indication  of  recovery  (except  for  a  few  re 
lapses  of  which  I  informed  you),  has  taken  a  sudden 
turn  for  the  worse  to-day — the  day  when  he  and  I 
expected  you.  He  now  insists  on  going  to  visit  some 
friends  who  have  a  bungalow  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  Lower  Saranac  Lake.  Nothing  I  can  say  or  do 
will  get  that  notion  out  of  his  head.  I  do  not  know 
what  to  do  about  it,  save  humour  him. 

"  The  name  of  these  friends  is  Russman.  Mr. 
Russman  is  a  German  whom,  it  seems,  Roy  met  while 
at  college,  and  also  later,  after  he  came  to  our  firm. 
Mr.  Russman  is  a  chemist,  and  Roy  has  a  notion  he 
can  help  him  in  recalling  the  details  of  the  lost 
formula.  I  do  not  know  whether  that  is  fancy 
or  fact.  At  any  rate,  Roy  insists  on  going  to  see 
Mr.  Russman,  and,  of  course,  I  must  go  with  him. 

"  We  are  starting  at  once,  and  will  drive  as  best 
we  can  across  country.  The  roads  are  not  good,  and 
it  would  be  much  better  to  go  by  water,  up  through 
Middle  Saranac,  but  Roy  will  not  listen  to  that. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         201 

"  I  am  writing  this  as  he  is  packing.  I  will  do 
the  best  I  can  for  him,  but  I  think  it  will  be  wise, 
when  you  get  this,  to  come  to  Mr.  Russman's  bunga 
low  as  soon  as  you  can." 

There  followed  directions  for  reaching  it. 

"  Roy  only  heard  the  other  day,"  the  letter  went 
on,  "  of  the  presence  of  Mr.  Russman  in  this  vicinity, 
and  he  at  once  became  more  nervous  than  before. 
The  forgetting  of  the  chemical  formula  seemed  more 
than  ever  to  prey  on  his  mind.  That  is  why  I  sent 
you  word  that  he  was  not  as  well  as  he  had  been. 
But  perhaps  this  trip  may  do  him  good,  especially 
if  it  is  followed  by  a  visit  from  you  and  your  friends. 
If  I  may,  without  giving  offence,  I  will  say  that  I 
think  if  Miss  Rose  Bancroft  were  to  come  Roy  would 
greatly  appreciate  it." 

"  I  must  show  Rose  that,"  Sylvia  mentally  re 
solved. 

"  So  we  are  leaving  at  once,"  the  missive  concluded, 
"  and  I  hope  you  will  follow  as  soon  as  you  can. 
But  if  it  is  late  when  you  get  this,  you  had  better 
postpone  your  trip  until  to-morrow.  Come  by  water, 
if  possible,  and  come  straight  to  the  bungalow.  I 
will  be  there  with  Roy. 

"  With  the  best  of  wishes,  I  remain, 

"  Yours  faithfully, 

"  HARRY  MONTRAY." 


202        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Sylvia  drew  a  long  breath  as  she  finished  the  letter. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  it  isn't  bad  news !  "  exclaimed  Hazel. 

"  Is  there  anything  we  can  do  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"Where  is  Roy?"  inquired  Rose,  unable  longer 
to  keep  back  the  question  that  was  fairly  burning  on 
her  lips. 

"  At  the  Russman  bungalow,  on  Lower  Saranac," 
slowly  answered  Sylvia.  "  Oh,  dear !  I  don't  know 
what  to  do !  " 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,  and  let  me  advise  you," 
said  Mrs.  Brownley.  The  letter  was  read  to  the 
chaperon  and  the  girls,  and  Rose  was  given  her  own 
special  message.  She  received  it,  as  may  well  be 
imagined,  blushingly. 

"  I  will  go  to  him ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  Can  we 
start  now,  Sylvia?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  was  the  answer.  "  Harry — 
Mr.  Montray — advises  against  starting  too  late. 
And  we  certainly  would  hardly  be  able  to  take  the 
road  through  the  wood  at  this  hour." 

"  But  what  can  we  do  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  arrange  to  stay  here  for 
the  night,  or,  better  perhaps,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley, 
"  go  back  to  Saranac  Inn.  We  can  start  from  there 
in  the  morning,  hire  a  motor  boat  if  we  can  get  one, 
and  go  through  Middle  Saranac  Lake  to  Lower,  and 
then  on  to  the  bungalow." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  while  Sylvia  and 
the  girls  considered  this  plan.  Then  Sylvia  said: 

"  I  think  that  will  be  the  best.     It  seems  hard  not 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS 

to  go  to  Roy  at  once,  but  we  must  consider  the  best 
for  all  of  us.  It  would  not  do  to  get  lost  in  the  woods. 
So  we  will  delay  our  start  until  morning." 

"  And  shall  we  stay  here  to-night?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  go  back  to  Saranac,"  sug 
gested  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  Probably  there  are  not 
accommodations  enough  here  for  all  of  us,  and  be 
sides,  if  we  go  to  Lower  Saranac  we  may  have  to 
stay  some  time,  and  will  want  our  luggage." 

"  I'm  sorry,  but  I  couldn't  put  you  all  up,"  said 
the  clerk  of  the  camp-hotel.  "  There  are,  of  course, 
the  rooms  Mr.  Pursell  and  Mr.  Montray  had, 
but—" 

"  Thank  you,  we  will  go  back  to  the  Inn,  and  start 
from  there  in  the  morning,"  Sylvia  decided.  "  We 
have  no  baggage  with  us." 

Thus  it  was  decided,  and  the  man  with  the  horses 
was  directed  to  get  ready  for  the  return  trip.  Sylvia 
and  the  others  of  her  party  had  tea  at  the  camp,  and 
the  clerk  told  them  more  details  of  the  going  away  of 
Roy  and  his  friend.  Roy  had  seemed  strangely  ex 
cited,  the  clerk  said,  at  the  prospect  of  going  to  the 
Russman  bungalow. 

Sylvia  could  not  shake  off  a  morbid  fear  that  some 
thing  would  happen — nay,  that  it  had  already  hap 
pened.  But  she  tried  to  be  brave,  and  not  to  inflict 
her  grief  on  the  others. 

However,  Rose  shared  it,  though  she,  too,  put  on  a 
brave  front.  But  Hazel  and  Alice  must  have  sus 
pected,  for  they  were  sweetly  sympathetic. 


204        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Harry  Montray  had  had  time  only  hastily  to 
scribble  the  note,  and  leave  it  with  him  for  Sylvia, 
the  clerk  said,  and  then  he  had  gone  off  with  Roy  in 
a  rig  they  hired  to  drive  through  the  woods  from 
Lake  Clear  to  Lower  Saranac. 

"  But  I  would  not  advise  you  ladies  to  take  that 
route,"  the  young  man  said. 

"  We  will  not,"  decided  Sylvia.  "  We'll  go  by 
boat." 

They  reached  Saranac  Inn  well  in  time  for  dinner, 
and  then  began  their  arrangements  for  making  an 
early  morning  start  for  the  lower  lake  and  the 
bungalow. 

"  Do  you  think  your  brother  would  be  a  guest 
there?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Most  likely,"  Sylvia  answered.  "  You  see  he  and 
Mr.  Russman — Professor  Russman  it  really  is — are 
great  friends.  I  have  often  heard  Roy  speak  of  him, 
and  he  has  often  visited  him  at  his  home  in  Brooklyn." 

"  Well,  then  it  won't  be  so  bad  if  he  goes  there 
and  stays,"  Hazel  remarked.  "  It  may  even  do  him 
good.  Who  knows  but  that  he  may  hit  upon  that 
formula  again  ?  " 

"  Oh,  perhaps  it  will  be  all  right — if  Roy  gets 
there,"  his  sister  said,  and  there  was  something  in 
her  voice  and  manner  that  prompted  Rose  to  ask : 

"  Why,  Sylvia,  don't  you  think  he  will  get  there?  " 

"  Oh,  my  dear — I  don't  know — please  don't  ask 
me.  I  have  such  a  queer  feeling !  " 

"  You're  all  tired  out— that's  what's  the  matter !  " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         205 

declared  Hazel.  "  You  need  a  good  rest.  We  have 
been  doing  too  much  dancing." 

"  No,  it  isn't  that,"  Sylvia  said. 

"  Well,  whatever  it  is,  you  need  a  rest,"  added 
Alice.  "  You  lie  down  now,  and  we'll  pack  your 
things  for  you.  Not  going  to  take  a  trunk;  are 
you?" 

"  No,  only  our  suit-cases,  though  we  can't  tell  how 
long  we  shall  stay." 

"  Can  we  stay  at  the  bungalow?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  about  that.  But  if  we  get 
up  there  we  can  hardly  get  back  the  same  day,  and 
we'll  have  to  stay  somewhere.  There  are  hotels  and 
camps  up  there,  I  think.  We'll  have  to  arrange  to 
stay." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Rose.  "  We  don't  want  to  go 
away  as  soon  as  we  have  arrived." 

"  Then,  too,  I  must  see  about  getting  a  boat,"  went 
on  Sylvia. 

"  I  asked  about  that,"  Mrs.  Brownley  said.  "  The 
hotel  clerk  informs  me  there  are  several  we  can  hire 
to  take  us  to  Lower  Saranac.  I  have  the  names  of 
the  men  who  run  them.  I'll  go  now  to  see  about 
them.  You  must  get  some  rest,  Sylvia." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  tired.  I  must  see  to  the  boat  my 
self.  This  is  my  affair,  in  a  way." 

"  It's  the  affair  of  all  of  us ! "  declared  Alice. 
"  You  can't  do  everything.  I'll  go  with  Aunt  Theo 
dora  and  see  about  the  boat.  You  can  finish  packing 
and  be  ready  to  lie  down  then.  Just  leave  it  to  us  1 " 


206        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

And  poor  tired  and  worried  Sylvia  was  glad  enough 
to  do  so. 

Mrs.  Brownley  was  eminently  practical  in  arrang 
ing  for  the  motor  boat.  She  had  the  choice  of  sev 
eral,  but,  on  the  advice  of  Alice,  selected  a  rather 
small  one. 

"  The  big  ones  look  nicer,"  Alice  said,  "  but  you 
must  remember  we  have  to  go  through  the  Saranac 
River  from  the  middle  lake  to  the  upper,  and  we  don't 
want  a  boat  that  draws  too  much  water.  Canoes  can 
make  the  trip  all  right,  but  a  motor  boat  of  deep 
draught  might  not  be  able  to  if  the  water,  for  any 
reason,  were  low.  We  don't  want  to  be  stranded." 

"  No,  indeed,"  agreed  the  chaperon.  So  the 
smaller  boat,  though  one  sufficiently  large,  was  en 
gaged. 

"  But  I'm  only  at  liberty  for  to-morrow,"  the  pilot 
informed  them.  "  I'll  have  to  come  back  with  my 
boat  to-morrow  night,  as  another  party  has  engaged 
her." 

"  We  only  want  you  to  take  us  up  to  the  Russman 
bungalow  and  leave  us,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley. 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  the  next  morning  our 
friends  were  to  start  on  their  trip  through  the  two 
lakes  to  reach  the  bungalow. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
A  LONELY  PLACE 

FROM  Saranac  Inn,  down  through  Upper  Saranac 
Lake,  to  a  point  where  the  turn  could  be  made,  to  go 
through  the  middle  body  of  water  to  the  lower,  is, 
perhaps,  seven  miles.  The  remainder  of  the  trip, 
up  past  Eagle  Island  in  Lower  Saranac,  and  to  the 
point  where  Professor  Russman's  bungalow  was  lo 
cated,  was  about  ten  miles  more,  so  the  Nowadays 
Girls  had  a  motor-boat  trip  of  nearly  seventeen  miles 
to  make. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances,  and  in  waters  more 
open,  the  journey  would  have  been  only  a  matter  of 
a  few  hours  at  most.  But  from  the  very  start  it 
seemed  that  Fate  was  against  our  friends. 

Not  that  anything  very  serious  occurred,  but  a 
series  of  small,  but  annoying,  delays  ensued  from  the 
very  beginning. 

In  the  first  place,  the  girls  were  so  tired,  after 
their  trip  to  Lake  Clear,  their  preparations  of  the 
night  and  their  previous  exertions,  that  they  all  slept 
late.  Even  Mrs.  Brownley  did  not  arise  at  her  usual 
time,  and  the  consequence  was  they  all  assembled  at 
the  very  latest  breakfast,  and  looked  at  one  another 
rather  strangely. 

307 


208         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  This  isn't  a  very  good  augury,"  said  Sylvia. 
"  But  I  was  so  tired  and  sleepy." 

"  So  was  I,"  said  Alice. 

"  I'm  hardly  awake  yet,"  confessed  Hazel. 

"  Nor  I,"  admitted  Rose.     "  But  we  must  hurry." 

They  did — to  the  extent  of  making  a  hasty  break 
fast.  Then  it  developed  that  their  motor-boat  man 
was  not  on  hand  ready  for  them.  They  had  gotten 
their  luggage  together  and  gone  down  to  the  dock, 
only  to  see  the  Balsam,  which  was  the  name  of  the 
craft  they  had  engaged,  tied  disconsolately  to  the 
float,  with  her  engine  partly  dismantled. 

"Why,  what  does  this  mean?"  demanded  Sylvia, 
rather  indignantly. 

A  small  boy  was  the  only  person  in  sight  from 
whom  it  seemed  possible  to  get  any  information.  He 
seemed  to  be  there  for  that  purpose,  for  he  asked : 

"  Are  you  the  party  that's  going  to  Lower 
Saranac?  " 

"  Yes,"  Mrs.  Brownley  said,  "  but  where  is  Mr. 
Wherry?  "  and  she  looked  around  for  the  man  from 
whom  she  had  engaged  the  boat. 

"  He's  sorry,  lady,"  said  the  boy,  and  then  he 
seemed  overcome  with  confusion.  "  He — he's 

"Sorry?  Sorry  for  what?"  demanded  Sylvia, 
brusquely. 

"  He's  sorry  he  can't  go." 

"  Can't  go  !  "    It  was  a  protesting  chorus. 

"  No'm.  He  can't  go  till  he  gits  his  engine  fixed. 
Suthin's  the  matter  of  it." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACK^         209 

"  Oh !  "  and  Sylvia  uttered  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  Then 
it  isn't  anything  serious." 

"  Huh !  You'd  think  so  if  you  heard  Hank  Wherry 
talk  about  it.  But  then  he  makes  a  awful  fuss  over 
lots  of  things.  He  told  me  to  stay  here  until  you 
folks  come  and  tell  you  he'd  be  back  as  soon  as  he 
could.  He's  gone  off  to  get  a  bolt,  or  suthin'  t'  fix 
the  engine." 

"  Oh,  then  he'll  be  back  soon  ?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  I  don't  know  how  soon.  Hank  Wherry  ain't 
much  on  hurryin'." 

"  Oh,  why  didn't  I  make  inquiries  about  him  and 
his  boat  before  I  engaged  it !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley.  "  Now  there  isn't  another  craft  we  can  get,  I 
suppose." 

There  was  not,  it  developed,  all  the  others  available 
having  gone  to  fill  other  engagements. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Sylvia.  "  We  have  plenty  of 
time.  It  isn't  such  a  long  trip,  and  even  if  we  don't 
get  there  until  late  afternoon  it  will  be  all  right. 
We  shall  have  to  remain  all  night,  anyhow ;  perhaps 
longer." 

The  boy  seemed  to  want  to  say  something  more, 
but  hardly  knew  how  to  proceed. 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  "  asked  Rose,  taking  pity  on  his 
embarrassment. 

"  He — he  said — Hank  said,  maybe  if  I  stayed  here 
and  told  you  what  I  did  tell  you  that  you — that 
maybe — that  you'd  give  me  a  nickel,"  the  boy 
stammered. 


210        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Of  course !  "  Sylvia  exclaimed,  opening  her  purse. 
"  Here  is  a  quarter  for  you." 

The  boy's  face  shone  with  delight  at  this  unex 
pected  windfall  of  wealth. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Mr.  Wherry  went  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  No'm,  I  don't.  But  maybe  I  could  find  him  for 
you,"  he  volunteered,  as  he  partly  opened  a  brown 
hand  and  gazed  at  the  shining  coin  clasped  tightly 
in  it. 

"  I  wish  you  would,"  Sylvia  said.  "  Tell  him  we 
are  in  a  hurry  to  make  a  start.  We  are  late,  but  he 
is  later." 

"  The  late  Mr.  Hank  Wherry,"  murmured  Hazel. 

The  boy  started  off,  and  the  girls  found  a  shady 
place  on  the  little  pier  to  wait  for  their  boatman. 
The  Balsam's  engine  had  been  partly  dismantled. 

"  He'll  never  be  able  to  start  to-day,"  said  Alice. 

"  Oh,  there  isn't  so  much  to  do,"  Sylvia  said, 
gazing  with  an  experienced  eye  at  the  machinery. 
"  He's  taken  out  the  carburetor.  I'd  rather  have 
him  repair  it  now  than  after  we  get  started." 

The  other  girls  agreed  with  her. 

They  were  just  getting  nervously  impatient  for 
the  return  of  their  boatman,  when  they  descried  him 
hurrying  back. 

"  Sorry  to  have  kept  you  waiting,"  he  apologised. 
"  But  I  was  giving  the  motor  a  trial  run,  getting 
ready  for  you,  when  the  carburetor  began  making 
trouble,  and  I  knew  I'd  have  to  have  it  fixed.  But 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         211 

we  can  run  all  the  better  now,  and  we'll  make  up  for 
lost  time." 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  How  long 
will  you  be  now?  " 

"  Not  more  than  half  an  hour." 

But  again  Fate  stepped  in  and  disappointed  the 
girls.  For  Mr.  Wherry  was  over  an  hour  making 
the  adjustments.  So  it  was  nearly  noon  when  the 
start  was  made  from  the  dock  near  the  Inn. 

"  Well,  she  is  making  good  time,"  observed  Sylvia, 
as  they  finally  chugged  off  in  the  Balsam. 

"  Oh,  yes,  miss.  We'll  be  there  in  good  season 
now.  I'm  sorry  to  have  delayed  you,  but  I'll  get  you 
there  in  plenty  of  time." 

It  was  the  best  that  could  be  done  under  the  cir 
cumstances,  and  there  seemed  no  help  for  it.  Cer 
tainly  the  motor  boat  was  at  last  running  well.  The 
Nowadays  Girls  knew  enough  about  machinery  to 
decide  that. 

"  The  carburetor  has  been  giving  me  trouble  right 
along,"  said  the  pilot,  "  and  so  I  put  on  a  new  one." 

They  were  passing  through  Upper  Saranac,  and 
the  scene  on  every  hand  was  one  of  beauty.  The  day 
was  a  perfect  one  of  warm  sunshine,  and  the  waters 
of  the  lake  sparkled  invitingly.  In  the  distance  were 
the  cool  woods,  the  unbroken  forest  stretching  away 
on  every  side. 

Here  and  there  were  other  craft  containing  gay 
parties  of  summer  visitors.  Now  and  then  snatches 
of  song  floated  across  the  water. 


212         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

Sylvia  and  her  chums  were  all  in  better  spirits  now 
that  they  were  actually  on  their  way  to  see  Roy. 
But  in  spite  of  the  sunshine,  and  the  feeling  of  exhila 
ration  that  came  from  swiftly  passing  over  the  water, 
Sylvia  could  not  shake  off  a  sense  of  foreboding. 

"  It's  foolish,  I  know,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  But 
I  feel  just  as  though  something  were  going  to  happen. 
Pshaw !  I  mustn't  worry !  I  must  be  bright  and  cheer 
ful  for  Roy's  sake.  He'll  need  cheering  up,  I  think." 

They  ate  their  lunch  on  the  boat,  for  they  had 
brought  a  substantial  one  with  them.  Sylvia  offered 
to  steer  while  Mr.  Wherry  ate  some  of  the  sand 
wiches  they  offered  him  from  their  store. 

"  No,  I'd  better  keep  the  wheel,"  he  said.  "  I  can 
steer  with  one  hand  and  eat  with  the  other.  We'll 
be  in  uncertain  waters  soon." 

This  did  not  tend  to  reassure  the  girls,  who  had 
been  made  a  little  nervous  by  the  delay  of  the 
morning. 

"  Are  we  likely  to — to  have  trouble?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Oh,  well,  nothing  so  much,  miss,"  was  the  answer. 
"  We  may  run  aground  here  and  there,  that's  all. 
But  I'll  do  my  best." 

"  Well,  don't  run  aground  so  hard  that  you  can't 
run  off  again,"  begged  Sylvia. 

The  afternoon  was  half  gone  when  they  started  on 
the  passage  through  Saranac  River,  connecting  the 
middle  lake  with  the  lower  body  of  water.  The 
stream,  while  perfectly  adapted  for  canoes,  was,  at 
this  season,  because  of  an  unusually  dry  month,  not 


SYLVIA  AND  HER  CHUMS  WERE  ALL  IX  BETTER  SPIRITS  NOW 
THAT  THEY  WERE  ACTUALLY  OX  THEIR  WAY  TO  SEE  ROY 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         213 

so  good  for  motor  boats.  There  were  certain  low 
places  and  sandbars. 

"  But  I  guess  we'll  get  over  it  all  right,"  said  Mr. 
Wherry.  "  I'll  run  slow,  and " 

The  words  were  fairly  jarred  out  of  his  mouth, 
for  the  boat  ran  into  something  and  slowed  up  so 
suddenly  that  the  engine  was  almost  jarred  from  the 
bed-beams.  With  a  quick  motion  Sylvia  leaned  over 
and  pulled  out  the  electrical  switch,  thus  stopping  the 
motor. 

"  Stuck !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Wherry.  "  I  didn't  think 
we  were  near  that  bar.  And  we're  not !  "  he  added, 
with  something  of  triumph  in  his  tone.  "  There's  the 
one  I  was  looking  out  for  up  ahead  there.  This  is 
a  new  one  that  we're  fast  on." 

That  was,  however,  little  consolation  for  the  girls. 

"  Can't  we  get  off?  "  asked  Hazel,  anxiously. 

The  others  waited  rather  apprehensively  for  an 
answer. 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  I  can  pole  us  off,"  was  the  reply. 

Mr.  Wherry  began  to  remove  his  shoes  and 
stockings. 

"  Is  he — is  he  going  to  swim?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  No,  I'm  only  going  to  wade,"  he  answered  for 
himself.  "  I  reckon  if  I  get  out  and  push  I  can 
shove  her  off.  Now  if  you'll  all  come  in  the  stern 
you'll  raise  her  nose  out  of  the  mud." 

He  climbed  over  the  side  into  the  water.  The 
girls  and  Mrs.  Brownley  moved  toward  the  stern, 
thereby  elevating  the  bow,  and  after  some  rather 


214        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

strenuous  work  Mr.  Wherry  succeeded  in  freeing  the 
craft  from  the  bar. 

Then  they  went  on  again,  but  the  running  aground 
had  delayed  them,  so  that  the  afternoon  was  fast 
waning  as  they  emerged  into  Lower  Saranac  Lake 
proper. 

"  But  now  we're  all  right,"  the  boatman  said. 
"  It's  good  water  from  now  on  to  the  upper  end. 
We'll  have  no  more  trouble." 

Nor  did  they,  at  least  just  then.  The  Balsam 
chugged  on  her  way  serenely,  and  the  girls  had  hopes 
of  arriving  at  their  destination  while  there  was  yet 
some  daylight  left. 

But  Fate  had  not  yet  finished  with  them.  Mr. 
Wherry,  it  appeared,  was  not  so  well  acquainted  with 
the  location  of  the  Russman  bungalow  as  he  had 
thought.  He  went  to  the  wrong  landing  and,  after 
stopping  to  make  inquiries,  started  off  again. 

It  was  now  dusk. 

"  I  wish  we  were  there,"  said  Rose,  with  a  nervous, 
shivery  glance  over  her  shoulder.  "  It's  lonesome 
up  here." 

It  was  indeed,  for  the  dense  forest  came  down  to 
the  very  edge  of  the  lake,  and  there  were  no  camps 
or  cottages  to  be  seen. 

"  We'll  be  there  in  five  minutes  now,"  said  Mr. 
Wherry.  "  It  is  lonesome,  but  then  some  folks  like 
that  up  here  in  the  Adirondacks." 

The  Balsam  chugged  on,  while  the  darkness  seemed 
to  shut  down  like  a  pall  over  everything. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE  DESERTED  BUNGALOW 

"  THERE'S  your  landing,"  said  Mr.  Wherry,  sud 
denly,  as  he  shut  off  the  power  and  turned  the  bow  of 
the  Balsam  toward  the  shore. 

"Where?"  asked  Sylvia. 

"  Just  ahead  there,  where  you  see  that  glimmer 
of  light.  I  remember  the  place  now.  Queer  I  should 
forget  it.  But  I  was  thinking  of  a  party  named 
Roseman  that  had  a  bungalow  up  here  last  year.  I 
got  him  mixed  up  with  Russman,  and  that's  why  I 
went  to  the  wrong  place.  But  I'm  all  right  now." 

The  mistake  he  had  made,  however,  had  cost  them 
some  ten  minutes  of  time.  But  at  last  they  were  at 
the  place,  and  the  girls  gave  sighs  of  relief,  for  it 
seemed  that  some  of  the  nervous  strain  was  over. 

"  Is  the  Russman  bungalow  near  the  lake?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  Oh,  yes,  quite  near.  You  take  that  path,  right 
where  you  see  the  light.  That  lantern  is  at  the  dock. 
And  you  go  up  the  hill,  and  the  bungalow  is  in  plain 
sight.  You  can't  miss  it." 

"  Are  you  going  right  back  ?  "  asked  Sylvia  of 
Mr.  Wherry. 

"  Oh,  yes,  miss.  I  have  a  party  to  take  to  Big 
215 


216        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Tupper  Lake  to-morrow,  so  I  have  to  go  back.  If 
you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  just  set  your  things  on  shore, 
and  I  won't  get  out  myself.  I'm  late  as  it  is,  and  I 
don't  fancy  going  past  those  sandbars  after  dark. 
But  I've  got  to  do  it." 

"  Oh,  we  shall  manage  very  nicely  if  you  set  our 
valises  and  cases  ashore,"  the  chaperon  said.  "  We 
are  used  to  managing  for  ourselves." 

She  paid  Mr.  Wherry  the  price  agreed  upon  as  the 
boat  was  slowly  drifting  up  to  the  little  wharf.  The 
girls  could  see  the  lantern  now  quite  plainly.  It  was 
hung  near  a  rustic  sign  that  gave  the  name  of  the 
Russman  bungalow. 

A  little  later  they  stood  on  the  shore  of  the  lake 
in  the  darkness  that  was  illuminated  only  by  the 
faint  gleam  of  the  hanging  lantern,  and  the  Balsam 
was  turning  around  and  going  back  over  the  course 
it  had  come. 

"  It's  certainly  lonesome,"  shivered  Alice,  with  a 
nervous  glance  around. 

"  Nonsense !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia.  "  With  a  bun 
galow  so  close  at  hand?  You  can  even  see  the  lights 
from  it,"  and  she  pointed  to  a  glow  that  shone 
through  the  trees. 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  must  be  the  place,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  I  suppose  we  had  better  go  on  up  to 
it." 

"  Shall  we  shout  to  let  them  know  we  are  here?  " 
asked  Hazel. 

"Oh,  no!"  exclaimed   Sylvia.     "They  wouldn't 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         217 

know  who  it  was,  and  it  might  startle  Roy.  Just  go 
up  quietly." 

"  I  do  hope  there  is  some  place  where  we  can  stay 
to-night,"  said  Rose.  "  Wouldn't  it  be  dreadful  if 
the  bungalow  should  be  so  filled  with  guests  that 
there  was  no  place  for  us !  " 

"  Oh,  there  will  be  other  places,"  Sylvia  replied. 
"  I  made  inquiries  before  starting,  and  was  told  there 
were  several  hotels  in  this  vicinity,  at  least  boarding- 
houses  and  camps." 

"  But  how  to  find  them  in  the  dark  ?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  We'll  manage  somehow.  We  aren't  Nowadays 
Girls  for  nothing !  "  and  Sylvia  laughed. 

"  Well,  forward — march !  "  commanded  the  chap 
eron.  Each  one  took  her  suit-case  and  started  up 
the  path  that  showed  dimly  in  the  gleam  of  the  hang 
ing  lantern. 

"  There  goes  the  motor  boat,"  said  Alice,  turning 
to  gaze  at  the  moving,  shimmering  light  that  be 
tokened  that  Mr.  Wherry  was  making  all  speed  down 
Lower  Saranac  Lake. 

"  Yes,  we  have  to  stay  now,  whether  we  want  to 
or  not,"  added  Hazel. 

"  Well,  we  want  to  stay ! "  declared  Rose,  with 
positiveness. 

"  Of  course,"  assented  Sylvia. 

The  faint  chug-chug  of  the  Balsam  came  to  them 
as  they  made  their  way  up  the  ascending  path  to 
ward  the  gleam  of  light  in  the  woods  which  betokened 
the  presence  of  the  bungalow.  Gradually  the  sound 


218         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

of  the  motor  became  more  faint,  as  the  craft  went 
around  a  bend.  Then  it  died  out  altogether. 

Suddenly  there  sounded  a  loud  cry  in  the  tree  over 
the  girls'  heads. 

"  Oh  !  "  screamed  Hazel. 

"  A  horrid  loon  !  "  gasped  Alice. 

"  An  owl !  "  scoffed  Sylvia,  with  a  laugh.  "  When 
will  you  girls  learn  to  be  nature-lovers?  " 

The  weird  cry  of  the  hooting  bird  was  repeated, 
but  the  girls  were  not  so  frightened  now  as  they 
walked  on.  The  glow  of  light  increased  as  they 
neared  the  bungalow,  which  they  could  dimly  see 
now,  outlined  amid  the  trees. 

"  I  do  hope  they  ask  us  to  supper,"  sighed  Alice. 

"  Of  course  they  will,"  said  Sylvia.  "  If  they 
don't,  we  have  a  good  part  of  our  lunch  left." 

They  were  now  directly  in  front  of  the  bungalow, 
which  proved  to  be  one  of  good  size,  with  a  porch  all 
the  way  around  it.  .  The  building  stood  some  dis 
tance  back  from  the  lake,  on  a  little  elevation  of 
ground  that  gave  a  good  view. 

The  front  and  back  doors  were  wide  open,  which 
fact  was  easily  ascertained,  as  broad  shafts  of  light 
came  from  each  door,  cutting  a  path  of  yellow  mel 
lowness  in  the  blackness  of  the  woods.  They  had 
approached  the  Russman  property  at  an  angle. 

"  It's  rather  an  awkward  time  to  come  visiting," 
Sylvia  said,  as  she  and  her  chums,  with  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley,  walked  up  the  front  steps.  "  It  is  a  little  too 
late  for  dinner  and  too  early  for  breakfast." 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         219 

"  We  couldn't  help  it,"  Alice  said.  "  It  was  the 
fault  of  that  motor-boat  man.  He  delayed  us." 

They  could  now  look  into  the  living-room  of  the 
bungalow.  A  large  hanging  lamp  gave  ample  light, 
and  they  saw  that  the  apartment  was  most  comfort 
ably  furnished.  There  were  big  easy-chairs,  window 
seats  draped  with  Indian  blankets  and  rugs,  and  a 
log  fire  which  had  died  down  into  glowing  embers, 
for  the  night  was  rather  chilly. 

Through  the  living-room  a  glimpse  could  be  had 
into  the  dining-room,  over  the  table  of  which  hung 
another  large  lamp,  lighted,  and  casting  on  the  board 
a  mellow  illumination.  The  table  was  set  for  several 
persons,  but  it  appeared  the  meal  had  not  been 
begun. 

"  We're  just  in  time,"  whispered  Hazel. 

"  Hush !  Some  one  will  hear  you,"  cautioned 
Alice. 

But  Sylvia  was  impressed,  almost  from  the  first, 
by  a  strange  and  eerie  silence  about  the  place. 
There  was  not  a  sound.  Not  a  voice  spoke.  There 
was  no  laughter.  Even  the  clatter  of  dishes,  always 
attendant  upon  mealtime,  was  absent,  and  there  was 
no  talk  from  the  quarters  of  the  servants,  though  the 
light  streaming  from  the  rear  door  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  kitchen  was  in  use. 

"  It  is  very  strange,"  mused  Sylvia.  And  again 
a  sense  of  foreboding  came  to  her.  Something 
seemed  to  hang  over  her — to  press  upon  her  heart. 
She  tried  in  vain  to  shake  it  off. 


220        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

Mrs.  Brownley  knocked  on  the  door.  The  sound 
echoed  through  the  rooms,  and  they  waited  ex 
pectantly  for  the  answer  of  approaching  foot 
steps. 

But  only  silence  greeted  them. 

"  Knock  again,"  urged  Rose. 

The  chaperon  did  so,  but  once  more  the  echo  was 
the  only  answer. 

"  That  is  strange,"  said  Sylvia,  voicing  aloud 
the  feeling  that  was  overmastering  her.  "  Very 
strange ! " 

"  They  don't  hear  us,"  murmured  Aunt  Theodora. 

"  Call !  "  suggested  Hazel.  "  They  may  be  out  in 
the  woods." 

"  What !  after  dark,  and  with  supper  all  served  ?  " 
asked  Alice,  incredulously. 

A  third  time  Mrs.  Brownley  rapped,  and  then, 
waiting  a  few  seconds,  she  called : 

"  Is  any  one  here  ?  " 

There  was  no  reply. 

"Roy!"  suddenly  called  Sylvia.  "Roy  Pursell! 
It  is  I— Sylvia!" 

Her  voice  carried  well.  In  that  silent  place  it 
seemed  to  fill  and  echo  through  the  woods.  But  no 
one  answered. 

"  Let  us  go  in,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  Some 
thing  may  have  happened." 

"  Oh— what?  "  gasped  Rose. 

"  I  don't  know,  my  dear.  But  evidently  they  can 
not  hear  us.  I  am  sure  they  would  welcome  us  if 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACK^ 

they  could,  so  let  us  go  in  and  make  our  presence 
known." 

Rather  embarrassed,  they  made  their  way  into  the 
living-room.  They  took  pains  to  make  considerable 
noise,  letting  the  screen  door  slam  shut,  but  their 
intrusion  was  not  challenged. 

"  It  is  very  strange,"  Sylvia  observed  again. 

They  went  into  the  dining-room.  And  there  the 
strangeness  was  increased,  for  there  was  every  evi 
dence  that  the  family  and  their  guests  had  at  least 
taken  their  places  at  the  table,  though  no  one  had 
eaten  anything.  For  napkins  were  unfolded,  and  in 
one  or  two  cases  had  fallen  to  the  floor.  And  two 
chairs  were  upset,  as  though  the  occupants  had 
arisen  hastily,  and  in  so  doing  had  overturned  the 
pieces  of  furniture.  The  table  was  slightly  disar 
ranged,  too,  showing  more  plainly  that  it  had  been 
left  suddenly,  and  by  all  the  guests. 

"  But  what  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  gasped  Sylvia. 

"  I  can't  imagine,"  answered  the  chaperon. 

They  stood  looking  at  one  another,  and  then  gazed 
about  the  deserted  dining-room.  The  answer  to  the 
puzzle  was  not  plain. 

"  Can  this  be  the  right  place  ?  "  asked  Alice.  "  We 
may  have  made  a  mistake." 

"  It  is  the  Russman  bungalow,  surely  enough," 
Sylvia  said.  "  I  have  heard  Roy  describe  it  several 
times.  And  I  saw,  in  the  living-room,  a  suit-case 
with  Mr.  Russman's  name  on  it.  This  is  the  right 
place." 


222        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  But  where  is  Roy — Mr.  Montray — Mr.  Russ- 
man?  Where  is — every  one?  "  Rose  asked,  and  there 
was  a  sob  in  her  voice. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Sylvia,  simply. 

Mrs.  Brownley  had  penetrated  to  the  kitchen 
through  the  butler's  pantry.  The  girls  followed  her. 

There  was  no  one  there.  But  the  fire  was  burning 
in  the  stove,  and  on  it  were  several  dishes  of  food, 
being  kept  warm.  On  the  kitchen  table  were  other 
dishes  ready  to  serve,  but  the  food  in  them  was  cold. 

"Is  any  one  here?"  Sylvia  cried,  raising  her 
voice  in  a  nervous  shout. 

No  one  answered.  It  was  as  though  a  blight  had 
fallen  on  the  deserted  bungalow — a  blight  like  that 
of  some  ancient  fable.  The  occupants  of  the  house 
in  the  woods  had  been  made  to  vanish  just  as  they 
were  about  to  sit  down  to  the  table. 

"Is  any  one  here?"  Mrs.  Brownley  cried,  stand 
ing  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  directing  her  voice 
upward. 

No  one  answered. 

Once  again  they  walked  through  the  deserted 
lower  rooms,  more  and  more  puzzled,  and  trying  to 
pluck  up  courage  to  ascend  the  stairs.  The  silence 
was  oppressive. 

"  The  place  is  deserted,"  said  Sylvia,  in  a  low 
voice  that,  quiet  as  it  was,  sounded  too  loud  in  that 
silent  place. 

"  Deserted !  "  whispered  Rose.  "  Then  where  is 
Roy?" 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

MISSING 

CLUTCHING  at  the  hearts  of  the  girls  there  seemed  to 
be  an  unseen  spirit  of  fear  in  that  deserted  bun 
galow.  They  all  felt  it.  Even  Mrs.  Brownley,  who 
was  not  unduly  given  to  indulging  her  nerves,  seemed 
to  feel  the  depression. 

"  Deserted !  "  murmured  Sylvia.  "  Do  you  really 
think  this  bungalow  is  deserted?  " 

"  What  else  can  we  think?  "  asked  Rose.  "  There 
isn't  a  soul  here." 

"  But  they  have  been  here,  and  within  a  few  min 
utes,"  Hazel  argued.  Going  into  the  kitchen,  she 
put  her  hand  on  the  outside  of  some  of  the  dishes 
on  the  stove.  "  They  are  not  cold  yet,"  she  said. 
"  They  must  have  gone  out  just  before  we  came 
here." 

"  I  hope  that  wasn't  the  reason,"  Alice  said, 
grimly  enough,  but  even  she  did  not  smile  at  her  joke. 

"  They  must  be  somewhere  about,"  Sylvia  went  on. 
"  They  can't  have  heard  us." 

*'  We  made  noise  enough,"  declared  Alice. 

"  Let's  go  upstairs,"  proposed  Hazel. 

"  In  another  person's  bungalow ! "  exclaimed 
Rose. 

223 


THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"What  of  it?"  came  from  Alice.  "We've  al 
ready  taken  a  good  many  liberties,  and  a  few  more 
won't  matter.  They  may  all  be  upstairs  and — well, 
something  may  have  happened.  They  may  be  unable 
to  answer  us." 

"  Something  happened !  "  gasped  Rose.  "  Don't 
say  that  or — 

"  No,  don't  make  us  any  more  nervous  than  we 
are,"  urged  Sylvia. 

"  What  I  meant,"  Alice  explained,  "  was  that  they 
may  have  gone  upstairs,  because  of  some  alarm  down 
here,  and  be  afraid  to  come  down.  There  may  be 
only  some  ladies  and  children  here  with  the  servants, 
and  they  may  be  hiding  up  there." 

"  You're  only  making  it  worse,"  Sylvia  cautioned 
her,  with  a  glance  at  timid,  shrinking  Rose.  "  Let's 
go  upstairs  and  see." 

"  Oh,  but  if  there  should  be "  Rose  began. 

"  Look  here !  "  exclaimed  Alice,  vigorously,  "  all 
I  meant  was  that  perhaps  one  of  the  children  had 
a  fit — a  nervous  crying  spell — it  is  rather  lonesome 
up  here,  you  see,  and — well,"  she  finished,  "  the 
family,  or  what  is  left  of  them,  may  be  upstairs. 
Let's  have  a  look." 

"  I  think  it  is  the  only  thing  to  do,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  We  must  satisfy  ourselves  that  there 
is  no  one  here.  Then  we  shall  know  what  next  to 
do." 

"  I  wonder  what  that  will  be,"  murmured  Hazel. 

The  bungalow  was  well  lighted  with  hanging  and 


225 

other  kerosene  lamps.  Electricity  had  not  pene 
trated  that  far,  as  yet.  There  were  lights  upstairs, 
for  the  glow  of  them  could  be  seen. 

"  Come  on — all  together !  "  cried  Sylvia,  taking 
the  lead.  At  least  she  was  giving  an  example  of 
boldness  under  trying  circumstances.  They  all  felt 
the  pall  of  the  mystery  that  seemed  to  have  fallen 
over  the  bungalow. 

"Is  any  one  up  there?"  Sylvia  demanded,  paus 
ing  halfway  up. 

There  was  no  answer. 

"  I  say !  "  exclaimed  Alice,  who  brought  up  the 
rear.  "  Some  of  us  ought  to  stay  down  here,  I 
think." 

"  Why?  "  asked  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  Because,  if  the  owners  come  in  unexpectedly, 
while  we  are  upstairs,  and  they  hear  us  moving 
around,  knowing  they  left  no  one  in  the  place,  they 
may  take  us  for  burglars  and " 

"  That's  so,"  agreed  Hazel.  "  I'll  stay  with  you, 
Alice." 

"  No,  it  is  better  that  we  all  go  up  !  "  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley  decided.  "  Come  on,  girls." 

"  I  don't  believe  we'll  find  a  soul  up  there,"  Sylvia 
said,  under  her  breath.  But  she  went  on  boldly, 
nevertheless. 

The  bungalow  was  a  large  one,  artistically  ar 
ranged,  and  the  upper  floor  contained  a  number  of 
rooms  and  baths.  There  was  a  small  third  story, 
where  the  servants'  rooms  were  located.  As  the 


226        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

place  was  well  lighted  it  did  not  take  long  to  make 
a  thorough  search.  The  rooms  showed  that  the 
members  of  the  household  had  come  down  from  their 
rooms  after  dressing  for  the  dinner  which  was 
spread  out  in  readiness  for  them  in  the  dining-room 
below. 

But  of  the  occupants  of  the  bungalow  there  was 
not  a  sign,  save  the  mute  ones  of  scattered  garments 
and  personal  belongings. 

"Where  can  they  be?"  wondered  Alice. 

"  It  is  as  though  a  plague  had  fallen  upon  this 
place,  and  they  had  all  fled  to  escape,"  ventured 
Hazel. 

"  Oh,  I  wish  you  wouldn't  say  such  things !  "  ex 
claimed  Rose. 

"  Here's  Roy's  room ! "  suddenly  cried  Sylvia, 
pausing  outside  a  certain  bedroom. 

"Is — is  he  in  it?"  gasped  Rose,  clinging  to  a 
faint  hope. 

"  No,"  and  the  voice  of  Sylvia  was  sad.  "  His 
things  are  here — some  of  the — the  brushes  I  gave 
him,"  she  faltered,  as  she  caught  sight  of  her 
brother's  toilet  articles  on  his  dresser. 

"  Isn't  it  puzzling?  "  Alice  said. 

"It's  terrifying!"  Hazel  declared.  "It's  like 
something  you've  read  of  in  a  book." 

Mrs.  Brownley  was  going  about  systematically, 
looking  in  every  room.  It  was  the  height  of  ill 
manners,  she  felt,  to  thus  prowl  about  another  per 
son's  house,  but  once  she  had  started  on  that  dis- 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         227 

agreeable  quest  she  would  do  it  thoroughly.  She 
even  penetrated  to  the  servants'  quarters,  but  there 
was  no  sign  of  them. 

The  whole  bungalow  showed  every  appearance  of 
having  been  hastily  deserted  by  the  whole  number 
of  its  occupants.  With  faltering  steps  the  girls  and 
their  chaperon  descended  the  stairs.  Sylvia  paused 
to  turn  down  a  lamp  that  was  smoking. 

"  Well,  there's  only  one  thing  to  do,"  declared 
Hazel,  and  she  seemed  to  have  arrived  at  some  des 
perate  decision. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  We  must  hurry  down  to  the  lake  and  call  back 
that  man  with  the  motor  boat.  He  must  take  us 
back  to — to  some  place  where  there  is  some  one. 
Hurry !  We  must  call  to  him  before  it  is  too  late." 

"  It  is  too  late  now,"  said  Alice.  "  He  is  far  away 
by  this  time." 

"  I'm  not  going  back !  "  declared  Sylvia.  "  Roy 
is  here — or  he  has  been  here  within  a  few  minutes, 
and  I'm  going  to  stay  until  I  find  him." 

"  Oh,  but  we  can't  stay  here — with — with  this 
mystery  hanging  over  us !  "  gasped  Hazel.  "  It's  so 
weird  and  terrifying.  I  want  that  man  back  with 
his  motor  boat.  At  least  Tie  is  human.  Come  on, 
Alice,  we'll  call  to  him." 

Before  the  others  could  stop  them  the  two  girls 
ran  down  the  lamp-lighted  path  to  the  edge  of  the 
lake.  It  was  not  far,  and  fear  and  desperation  be 
cause  of  the  strangeness  that  seemed  to  hang  over 


228         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

the  deserted  bungalow  made  them  forget  the  fear 
they  would  ordinarily  have  had  in  plunging  through 
the  woods  after  nightfall. 

"  You  can't  make  him  hear ! "  Sylvia  called  after 
them. 

But  Hazel  and  Alice  gave  her  no  heed.  They 
raised  their  shrill  voices  in  a  shout  after  Hank 
Wherry,  who  had  turned  about  and  departed  in  the 
Balsam. 

It  seemed  a  long  time  since  this  had  occurred,  but 
really  it  was  only  a  few  minutes,  for  the  search  of 
the  bungalow,  though  it  took  a  considerable  period 
of  time,  as  marked  by  nerves,  was  not  very  long  in 
actual  measurement. 

"  We  must  make  him  hear ! "  said  Hazel,  des 
perately.  "  Call  again,  Alice." 

They  called  and  shouted.  They  flung  the  name 
of  the  man  and  his  boat  to  the  night  winds,  and  min 
gled  that  with  the  appeal  for  "  Help !  " 

But  only  echoes  answered  them. 

"  Oh,  do  stop  it !  "  begged  Rose,  advancing  a  little 
way  down  the  lamp-lit  path.  "  Stop  calling !  " 

"  Let  them  go  on,"  advised  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  It's 
better  than  having  them  crying  hysterically,  and  if 
they  don't  make  that  Wherry  person  hear  they  may 
attract  the  attention  of  those  who  so  strangely  de 
serted  the  bungalow.  Let  them  call." 

And  so  Hazel  and  Alice  called,  and  called  again, 
awakening  the  echoes  of  the  forest,  sending  their 
young  voices  out  over  the  silent  waters  of  Saranac. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         229 

Now  and  then  an  owl  hooted,  as  if  in  derision, 
and  then  would  come  the  weird  and  nerve-racking 
screech  of  some  loon,  to  remind  the  girls  of  the  other 
night  they  had  spent  alone  in  the  open.  But  there 
was  no  human  answer. 

Disconsolately  Alice  and  Hazel  rejoined  the  others. 
To  do  them  credit  neither  showed  any  signs  of  break 
ing  into  hysterical  tears.  They  were  Nowadays 
Girls  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  They  were  too 
sensible  and  too  healthful  to  give  way  easily  to  their 
feelings,  though  certainly  this  was  a  very  trying 
time. 

"  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Go  back  to  the  bungalow,"  decided  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley.  "  I,  for  one,  am  hungry — ravenous.  This  for 
est  air  gives  one  such  an  appetite." 

"  I'm  simply  starving,"  Alice  confessed.  "  But 
what  shall  we  eat  ?  The  remains  of  our  lunch  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  very  good  meal  in  readiness  up 
there,"  the  guardian  said,  waving  her  hand  toward 
the  lit-up  bungalow.  "  All  it  needs  is  re-heating." 

"  Oh,  but  would  you  take  that?  "  gasped  Hazel. 

"  Why  not  ?  We  intend  to  call,  and  be  the  guests 
of  Professor  Russman,  when  we  can  find  him.  As 
Roy  Pursell  is — or  was — a  guest,  surely  he  will  re 
ceive  Roy's  sister  and  her  friends.  Simply  because 
the  Russman  family  is  not  here  to  welcome  us  need 
not  stop  us  from  eating.  In  fact,  I  think  they  will 
be  glad,  when  they  do  return,  to  find  that  we  have 
made  ourselves  at  home,"  finished  the  chaperon. 


230        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  If  they  do  return,"  said  Alice,  and  she  could  not 
keep  from  her  voice  a  tone  of  gloom. 

"  Oh,  of  course  they'll  come  back ! "  declared 
Sylvia.  She  spoke  almost  cheerfully.  "  I  think 
Aunt  Theodora  is  perfectly  right.  We'll  go  up 
there  and  eat  our  dinner.  It  will  make  us  all  feel 
better,  and  when  it  is  finished,  why,  I'm  sure  the 
family  will  come  back,  and  the  mystery  will  be  ex 
plained." 

It  did  seem  a  bit  odd  to  make  thus  free  with  an 
other  person's  house  and  belongings,  not  to  say  food. 
But  the  girls  cast  aside  their  first  scruples,  and  en 
tered  into  the  spirit  of  the  affair. 

They  laid  aside  their  hats  and  wraps,  and  the 
fire,  which  had  not  gone  out,  was  coaxed  into  more 
brightness  with  some  dry  wood  ready  in  the  kitchen. 
Mrs.  Brownley  put  on  a  kettle  of  water  to  make 
fresh  tea,  for  that  in  the  pot  had  stood  too  long. 
She  also  warmed  some  of  the  cooling  food,  for  she 
had  been  an  expert  Southern  cook  in  her  day. 

"  Now  draw  your  chairs  up  to  the  table,  and  we'll 
begin,"  was  Sylvia's  invitation  when  everything  was 
in  readiness.  "  We  do  not  know  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  this,  but  we  will  show  due  appreciation 
when  we  meet  the  proper  persons." 

There  was  a  moment  of  hesitation,  and  then  they 
began.     And  there  had  been  no  exaggeration  when  f 
appetites  had  been  spoken  of.     Each  one  ate  heart 
ily,  and  gradually,  in  a  measure  at  least,  the  feeling 
of  gloom  wore  off. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         231 

But  there  was  still  a  sense  of  oppression,  though 
perhaps  not  so  much  that  as  a  feeling  that  "  some 
thing  was  going  to  happen." 

"  Well,  we  shan't  starve,  at  any  rate,"  Sylvia 
said,  still  keeping  that  cheerful  note  in  her  voice. 
"  There  is  enough  food  here  for  some  time  to 
come." 

She  had  been  out  in  the  kitchen,  looking  through 
the  pantry. 

"  You — you  don't  mean  to  say  we  are  going  to 
stay  here  for  another  meal?  "  gasped  Rose. 

"  Stay  here !  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Sylvia.  "  Where 
else  can  we  stay?  At  least  until  the  family,  or  some 
of  them,  return  and  tell  us  what  has  happened  and 
where  my  brother  is.  We'll  go  to  a  hotel,  of  course, 
if  there  is  one  around  here,  but  this  place  isn't  as 
much  settled  as  I  supposed.  Of  course  we'll  stay 
here ! " 

"All  night?"  Hazel  wanted  to  know. 

"  If  we  have  to — yes.  I'm  going  to  have  another 
cup  of  tea  and  some  more  of  that  delicious  plum 
cake,"  Sylvia  went  on. 

Her  now  calm  spirits  had  an  influence  on  all  of 
them.  They  finished  the  meal,  and  even  washed  the 
dishes.  The  hour  was  growing  late,  and  once  more 
a  little  feeling  of  nervousness  oppressed  them. 

It  was  when  Alice  went  out  on  the  porch  to  look 
down  toward  the  lake,  that  she  saw  that  which  moved 
her  to  exclaim : 

"  Girls,  here  comes  some  one ! " 


232        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Where  ?  "  demanded  Sylvia. 

"  See !    That  light !  " 

A  gleam  was  observed  bobbing  about  in  the  woods. 
It  flickered  here  and  there,  now  being  obscured  by 
some  trees,  and  again  shining  clear. 

"  Who  can  it  be?  "  murmured  Rose. 

"  Hark !  "  Hazel  cautioned  them. 

The  murmur  of  voices  came  to  them — women's 
voices  mingling  with  those  of  men. 

"  Some  one  is  coming  at  last !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia, 
with  a  sigh  of  relief.  She  had  kept  up  nearly  as 
long  as  she  could  under  the  strain. 

Along  a  woodland  path  came  a  party  of  men  and 
women.  Several  lanterns  could  now  be  seen. 

"  It  looks  like  a  searching  party,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley. 

"  I  wonder  if  they  have  come  to  look  for  the  lost 
family,"  Rose  proposed. 

Into  the  gleam  of  lamplight  from  the  open  doors 
of  the  bungalow  came  the  men  and  women.  A  tall 
bearded  man  was  in  the  lead,  and  at  the  sight  of 
him  Sylvia  exclaimed: 

"  Professor  Russman  !  " 

"  Ha !  What  is  that?  Who  is  there?  "  he  asked, 
shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand  that  he  might  the 
better  see  who  spoke.  "Who  is  it?"  he  asked, 
sharply. 

"  It  is  I — Sylvia  Pursell.  Oh,  where  is  my  brother 
Roy?"  she  asked,  eagerly.  "Is  he  here?  Was  he 
here?  We  came  to  find  him  but " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         233 

"You — here?"  the  professor  cried.  "Roy's  sis 
ter  !  This  is  a  strange  coincidence." 

"Where  is  Roy?"  his  sister  demanded. 

"  Now  please  don't  get  excited,"  begged  Mr. 
Russman.  Perhaps  he  had  had  enough  of  it  that 
night.  "  It  is  unfortunate,  but  your  brother  is  not 
here.  He  was  with  us,  but  now  he  is,  I  regret  to 
say,  missing ! " 

"  Missing !  "  gasped  Sylvia.    "  Has  he — is  he " 

She  could  not  continue,  but  swayed  unsteadily 
and  put  out  her  hands  like  one  groping  in  the  dark. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

A  SLEEPLESS  NIGHT 

"  STEADY,  my  dear ! "  came  the  calm  voice  of  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  Don't  go  off  now.  It  will  be  all 
right." 

She  put  her  arms  about  Sylvia,  and  the  pressure, 
with  the  calming  words,  had  an  effect.  With  a 
shudder  the  girl  held  herself  back  from  the  brink 
of  a  faint. 

"  But  where  is  Roy  ?  "  she  faltered,  moistening 
her  dry  lips  with  a  tongue  scarcely  more  wet. 
"  What  has  happened  to  him?  " 

"  That  we  do  not  know,  my  dear  young  lady," 
said  Professor  Russman,  who  had  now  ascended  the 
steps  of  his  bungalow,  followed  by  his  wife  and  the 
servants.  "Will  you  not  come  in?"  he  asked, 
courteously — "  you  and  your  friends,"  and  he  in 
cluded  them  all  with  a  friendly  gesture. 

"  We  have  been  in,"  said  Mrs.  Brownley,  thinking 
it  best  that  she  should  make  the  explanation  now. 
"  We  took  the  liberty  of  getting  our  supper.  We 
arrived  here — the  place  was  deserted — we  could  not 
understand.  So  we  helped  ourselves  while  waiting." 

"  And  you  were  perfectly  welcome — all  of  you," 
their  host  went  on.  "  It  is  a  strange  story.  If  you 

234 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         235 

will  come  inside  I  will  tell  you.  Ah,  to  think  of  find 
ing  you  here  when  we  come  back  from  our  unsuc 
cessful  search — you  of  all  persons  in  the  world ! " 
exclaimed  the  professor,  gazing  at  Sylvia. 

"  Your — your  unsuccessful  search,"  she  repeated, 
wonderingly.  "  I  do  not  understand." 

"  And  no  wonder,"  broke  in  Mrs.  Russman.  "  We 
cannot  understand  it  ourselves,  Sylvia.  It  is  like 
a  dream — a  nightmare." 

"  But  is  Roy — alive?  "  his  sister  faltered. 

"  Yes,  or  he  was  when  he  rushed  out  of  here  an 
hour  or  so  ago,"  said  the  professor,  gravely.  "  You 
may  go  on  serving  the  meal,"  he  added  to  the 
servants.  "  My  wife  will  want  something  and  so  shall 
I.  Adolph  and  Mr.  Montray  may  return  later." 

"  Oh,  is  Harry  here  too  ?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  Yes,  he  was  helping  us  in  the  search." 

"What  search?"  Sylvia  said.  She  was  doing  all 
the  questioning,  and  the  others  deferred  to  her,  as 
it  was  her  right. 

"  Come  inside  and  I  will  tell  you  everything,"  said 
the  professor.  "  Will  you  not  have  a  cup  of  tea?  " 

"  We  had  plenty,"  Mrs.  Brownley  repb'ed.  "  In 
fact,  we  made  free  to  help  ourselves." 

"  I  am  glad  you  did,"  was  his  friendly  retort. 
"  It  is  no  time  for  ceremony." 

Sylvia  knew  the  scientist  and  his  wife,  though  not 
as  intimately  as  did  Roy.  But  they  welcomed  her  as 
an  old  friend,  and  her  companions  also.  Soon  they 
were  all  seated  in  the  dining-room,  and  while  tht 


236        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

maids  served  the  belated  meal,  explanations  were 
made  on  both  sides. 

"  But  why  did  Roy  go  away  if  he  was  here  ?  " 
Sylvia  asked,  when  Professor  Russman  had  only 
begun  his  remarks. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  he  answered,  gravely.  "  Per 
haps  you  can  explain  that.  I  shall  tell  you  all  I 
know.  He  came  here 

"And  you  don't  know  where  he  is  now?"  Sylvia 
asked.  She  really  could  not  refrain  from  the  inter 
ruption. 

"  He  is  out  there — somewhere,"  said  Professor 
Russman,  solemnly,  and  he  waved  his  hand  toward 
the  forest  that  enclosed  the  bungalow  on  three  sides. 
In  front  was  Saranac  Lake. 

"  Out — out  there?  "  faltered  Sylvia. 

"  But  my  son  Adolph  and  Roy's  friend,  Harry 
Montray,  are  searching  for  him,"  went  on  the  sci 
entist,  with  as  cheerful  a  smile  as  he  could  summon 
in  the  emergency.  "  Never  fear !  They  will  find 
him  and  bring  him  back  to  us.  It  is  but  a  temporary 
whim.  Perhaps  born  of  his  trouble.  Listen,  now, 
and  I  will  tell  you." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  living-room,  while  the 
servants  cleared  the  table.  Mrs.  Russman,  who  had 
been  made  acquainted,  as  had  her  husband,  with  Mrs. 
Brownley  and  the  others,  had  made  them  welcome 
most  hospitably. 

"  Roy  came  to  see  me  with  his  friend,  Harry  Mon 
tray,  arriving  yesterday,"  the  scientist  went  on.  "  I 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         237 

was  surprised  to  see  him,  as  I  did  not  know  he  was 
up  here,  thinking  him  with  the  chemical  concern.  I 
was  greatly  surprised  when  he  told  me  that  he  had 
been  ill,  and  had  lost  a  most  valuable  chemical  se 
cret." 

"  Isn't  it  too  bad !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia.  "  We  all 
feel  so  dreadfully  about  it;  Roy  losing  his  health 
and  all  that !  " 

"  So  his  friend  Harry  quietly  explained  to  me," 
the  scientist  resumed.  "  Roy  wanted  to  consult  with 
me  about  some  formulas  and  I  was  only  too  glad  to 
help  him.  He  seemed  perfectly  rational  and  at 
times  he  surprised  me  by  the  grasp  he  had  on  the  sub 
ject  of  coal-tar  products.  He  has  made  a  deep  study 
of  them." 

"  Perhaps  too  deep,"  murmured  Sylvia.  "  That  is 
what  caused  his  breakdown." 

"  So  I  surmised,  after  I  had  talked  with  him  a 
short  time,"  said  Mr.  Russman.  "  Well,  to  make 
a  long  story  short,  we  made  him  welcome  here  at 
the  bungalow,  and  told  him  he  and  his  companion 
could  stay  as  long  as  they  liked.  I  even  arranged 
to  go  over  with  him  some  of  the  chemical  combina 
tions  that  might  lead  to  his  rediscovery  of  the  lost 
formula.  He  was  seemingly  delighted  with  that." 

Mr.  Russman  paused  for  breath.  Then,  almost 
for  the  first  time,  Sylvia  and  her  friends  noticed  how 
exhausted  and  bedraggled  were  he  and  his  wife,  as 
well  as  the  servants. 

"  Oh,  what  have  you  all  been  doing?  "  she  asked. 


238        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  It  is  unfair  of  me  to  keep  you  talking  here  when 
you  need  rest." 

"  No,  it  is  all  right.  It  is  only  that  we  are  tired 
from  having  tried  to  trace  Roy  through  the  woods. 
I  have  only  a  little  more  to  tell.  Then  we  shall  rest 
and  resume  the  search." 

Rose  showed  her  suffering  in  her  face,  but  she 
tried  to  hide  it  and  even  smiled  wanly  as  she  glanced 
at  Sylvia. 

"  I  could  see  that  your  brother  was  not  in  the 
best  of  health,"  went  on  Professor  Russman, 
"  though  he  had  himself  pretty  well  in  hand.  But 
the  discussion  of  intricate  chemical  problems  must 
have  been  too  much  for  his  brain,  weakened  by  his 
illness. 

"  However,  matters  did  not  seem  to  be  very  bad, 
and  I  really  had  hopes  that  I  might  lead  his  memory 
along  the  paths  from  which  it  had  unwittingly 
strayed. 

"  We  were  about  to  sit  down  to  the  dinner  table, 
after  a  most  pleasant  afternoon,  when  your  brother, 
I  regret  to  say,  Sylvia,  was  suddenly  seized  with  a 
sort  of  delirium.  He  was  not  at  all  like  himself,  and, 
before  any  of  us  could  stop  him,  he  quickly  rose  from 
the  table  and  rushed  from  the  place,  out  into  the 
woods." 

"  Without  saying  a  word? "  asked  Sylvia,  her 
heart  beating  fast. 

"  He  merely  exclaimed :  '  I  know  where  to  find  it ! 
I  know  where  to  find  it ! '  Then  he  rushed  out,  with- 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS 

out  his  hat,  arising  so  hastily  that  he  overturned  his 
chair. 

"  Out  he  rushed,  and,  for  a  few  seconds,  we  did 
not  know  what  to  do.  It  was  as  though  we  had  all 
been  stricken.  Then  his  friend,  Harry,  called  to  us 
to  go  after  him — that  Roy  was  out  of  his  mind,  did 
not  know  what  he  was  doing,  and  might  come  to 
some  harm. 

"  Then  we,  too,  servants  and  all,  stopping  only 
to  take  some  lanterns,  rushed  out  after  the  unfor 
tunate  youth.  We  left  everything  as  it  stood,  think 
ing  we  should  soon  return.  And — well,  here  we  are 
— we  failed  in  our  quest." 

And  that  was  the  explanation  of  the  deserted 
bungalow.  It  was  natural  enough  when  the  cause 
was  known. 

"  And  you  could  not  find  Roy?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  Not  a  trace  of  him,"  returned  Mrs.  Russman. 

"  But  that  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  considering 
the  darkness  and  the  almost  impenetrable  forest,"  her 
husband  added.  "  We  were  hampered  in  our  search. 
We  shall  renew  it  under  more  favourable  circum 
stances  in  the  morning." 

"  If  Roy  does  not  return,  by  himself,  in  the  mean 
while,"  said  the  professor's  wife,  hopefully. 

"  Oh,  of  course,  yes,"  he  agreed. 

"  You  say  your  son,  and  Roy's  friend,  are  still 
keeping  up  the  search?  "  asked  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  Yes,"  the  professor  answered.  "  They  went  to 
get  some  of  the  professional  guides  of  this  neighbour- 


240         THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

hood,  and  will  institute  a  general  search.  They  will 
probably  be  out  all  night.  They  arranged  to  get 
something  to  eat  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  guides. 
They  both  wanted  to  continue  the  search,  but  I  felt 
I  must  come  back  to  the  bungalow.  I  could  not  tell 
what  would  happen  here." 

"  It  was  well  for  us  you  did  come  back,"  Sylvia 
said.  "  We  did  not  know  what  to  think." 

The  girls  told  their  story  of  having  come  to  the 
Adirondacks,  and  of  their  trip,  thus  far,  into  the 
woods.  Professor  Russman  then  gave  more  details 
of  Roy's  strange  running  away. 

"  What  do  you  think  he  meant  when  he  said  he 
knew  where  to  find  it  ?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  I  think  he  referred  to  the  chemical  formula. 
But  he  was  in  a  delirium,  of  course,"  Mr.  Russman 
said,  "  and  was  not  responsible  for  what  he  said." 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  he  returns,"  his  sister  cried. 

Then  began  a  nerve-racking  wait.  Some  of  the 
girls  went  to  bed,  but  Sylvia  remained  up  all  night, 
sleepless.  Mrs.  Brownley  sat  with  her,  in  her  room, 
and  each  one  started  at  the  slightest  sound — listen 
ing  hopefully. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

A  GENERAL  ALARM 

DAWN  came,  rosy-pale  at  first,  but  turning  to  red, 
and  thrusting  back  into  the  depths  of  the  forest  the 
blackness  of  the  night — the  long  night  that  had 
seemed  like  a  pall  of  blackness  over  the  hearts  of 
Sylvia  and  her  friends. 

And  with  the  dawn  came  hope,  renewed  hope,  as 
it  always  does. 

"  First,  a  good  breakfast ! "  said  Professor  Russ- 
man,  as  he  greeted  his  guests.  "  A  good  meal,  and 
we  shall  be  ready  to  take  up  the  fight  of  the  day. 
How  did  you  sleep,  Sylvia?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  she  said,  trying  not  to  speak  wearily, 
and  it  needed  but  a  glance  at  her  eyes  to  show  how 
she  had  spent  the  night  hours — in  a  useless  vigil, 
hoping  against  hope. 

"  Then  you  will  sleep  all  the  better  to-night,"  was 
his  cheerful  comment.  "  We  shall  have  Roy  back 
with  us  then." 

"  I  hope  so,"  murmured  Rose,  but  so  low  that  only 
Sylvia  heard  her.  She  pressed  her  chum's  hand 
under  the  cover  of  the  tablecloth,  for  they  were  then 
at  breakfast. 

The  meal  did  put  new  heart  into  them,  though 
341 


242         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

Sylvia  could  not  help  wondering  what  fare  her  brother 
had,  and  where  he  would  eat.  She  looked  out  of 
the  bungalow  window  into  the  dense  forest — a  wood 
marked  here  and  there  by  trails  along  which  the 
search  must  now  be  made  for  the  missing  young 
man. 

"What  is  the  first  thing  to  do?"  asked  Mrs. 
Brownley,  as  they  pushed  back  their  chairs  from  the 
table.  The  chaperon  was  one  of  those  efficient  women 
who  like  things  done  decently  and  in  order,  even 
when  there  was  such  an  emergency  matter  as  the 
search  for  a  lost  person.  She  was  a  great  believer 
in  system,  and  the  new  doctrine  of  efficiency. 

"  I  think  we  shall  go  down  to  the  house  of  one  of 
the  guides,  whom  Adolph  was  to  see  last  night,"  an 
swered  the  professor.  "  Old  Sam  may  have  some 
news.  Yes,  that  is  what  we  shall  do  first." 

"  And  after  that?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  It  all  depends.  But  don't  get  discouraged,  my 
dear,  if  we  do  not  have  word  from  your  brother  at 
once.  He  may  be  in  the  woods  for  several  days  and 
nights  before  we  find  him." 

Sylvia  uttered  a  low  cry  of  protest. 

"  Oh,  no — no !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  But  there  will  be  comparatively  little  danger," 
Mr.  Russman  said.  "  It  is  the  height  of  summer. 
It  would  do  no  harm  to  spend  several  nights  in  the 
open.  But  there  are  many  shelters  and  open  camps 
in  the  woods,  and  your  brother  is  enough  of  a  woods 
man  to  build  a  shelter  for  himself,  is  he  not  ?  " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         243 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  yes,"  Sylvia  an 
swered.  "  But  if  he  is  delirious " 

"  Which  I  am  convinced  he  was,  or  he  never  would 
have  rushed  out  the  way  he  did,"  Mr.  Russman  said. 
"  It  is  better  to  face  the  worst,  and  then  every  little 
we  can  remove  makes  us  so  much  better  off.  Even 
a  delirious  man  would  be  able  to  realise  that  he  must 
have  shelter.  But,  even  without  it,  he  would  suffer 
little  in  the  woods  at  this  season." 

"There  are  no  wild  beasts;  are  there?"  asked 
Alice. 

"  No,  young  lady.  At  least,  not  around  here. 
Deer  are  the  largest  animals,  but  the  hunting  season 
is  closed,  so  there  is  no  danger  of  an  accident  from 
guns. 

"  Oh,  do  not  worry !  I  am  sure  we  shall  find  Roy 
all  right  and  that  he  will  not  suffer.  If  we  cannot 
locate  him  ourselves  I  will  cause  a  general  alarm  to 
be  sounded.  All  the  guides,  canoemen,  campers  and 
cottagers  of  the  vicinity  will  be  glad  to  join  in  the 
search.  It  is  often  done  up  here  when  a  person  is 
lost  in  the  woods." 

"Does  that  often  happen?"  asked  Rose. 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  in  nearly  every  case  they  are  found 
again.  Of  course  it  is  easy  to  get  lost,  for  the  trails 
are  confusing  to  one  who  does  not  know  them,"  the 
professor  said.  "  But  we  will  hope  for  the  best. 
We,  ourselves,  followed  Roy  as  far  as  we  could  last 
night,  but  he  eluded  us.  However,  perhaps  my  son 
and  Harry  will  have  had  better  success. 


344        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Now  we  will  go  to  Old  Sam's  house.  He  is  one 
of  the  best  guides  in  this  region,  and  Adolph  knows 
him  well.  He  will  be  able  to  advise  us.  Do  not  be 
discouraged." 

He  spoke  hopefully — cheerfully — and  put  heart 
into  Sylvia  and  the  others. 

It  was  an  almost  tragic  turn  to  the  Adirondack 
outing  of  the  Nowadays  Girls.  They  had  been  so 
happy  but  a  comparatively  short  time  before — at 
the  dance — the  masquerade.  Would  Sylvia,  at  least, 
and  would  Rose  ever  be  so  happy  again?  Or  would 
the  shadow  of  the  lost  one  always  hover  over  them? 
They  feared  this,  yet  they  did  not  like  to  admit  that 
fear  even  to  themselves. 

Even  the  loveliness  of  the  woods  and  the  lake, 
and  the  entrancing  situation  of  the  Russman  bun 
galow,  failed  to  arouse  any  sense  of  appreciation  in 
Sylvia  and  her  friends.  They  looked  at  it  without 
seeing.  They  had  been  extended  the  warmest  hos 
pitality  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russman,  and  made  to 
feel  perfectly  at  home.  And  Sylvia  and  her  friends 
were  truly  grateful.  But  they  could  not  shake  off 
the  feeling  of  gloom. 

"  Shall  you  let  your  folks  know  Roy  is  missing?  " 
asked  Hazel. 

"  Not  at  once,"  Sylvia  replied.  "  It  would  only 
cause  them  great  pain  and  sorrow,  and  perhaps  un 
necessarily.  We  may  find  him  to-day.  If  we  do 
not,  and  if  he  remains  unfound  after  to-night,  then, 
of  course,  I  must  let  papa  know.  He  would  want 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS 

to  engage  a  posse  of  men  and  find  him.  But  we  will 
make  the  search  ourselves  first." 

"  Bravo ! "  cried  Professor  Russman  when  he 
heard  this.  "  That  is  the  right  spirit !  I  am  sure 
we  shall  have  success." 

Leaving  the  servants  and  Mrs.  Russman  in  the 
bungalow,  the  girls  accompanied  the  professor  into 
the  woods,  along  the  forest  trail  that  led  to  the  cabin 
of  Old  Sam,  a  veteran  guide. 

Sylvia  tried  to  induce  Mrs.  Brownley  to  remain 
also,  but  the  chaperon  insisted  on  going  witK  her 
charges. 

"  Your  mothers  depend  on  me,  and  I  am  not  going 
to  desert  now,"  she  said,  firmly. 

"  But  it  is  such  a  trial  for  you,"  objected 
Sylvia.  "  It  is  too  much  to  expect  you  to  tramp 
through  the  woods." 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  sturdy  lady. 
"  I  am  not  like  some  modern  girls,  who  can  only 
dance  one  fox  trot  an  evening.  I  was  brought  up 
to  take  long  walks.  And  you  seem  to  forget  that  I 
have  done  some  mountain  climbing  in  the  Alps.  If 
I  could  stand  that,  surely  I  can  stand  our  Adiron 
dack  woods  in  summer.  Now  don't  talk  any  more 
about  leaving  me  behind,  for  I  simply  shan't  stay. 
Go  along!" 

Professor  Russman  looked  admiringly  at  the  chap 
eron.  His  own  wife  was  an  accomplished  woods- 
woman,  but  it  was  necessary  that  some  one  in  author 
ity  remain  at  the  bungalow,  and  she  volunteered  for 


246        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

that  waiting  service.  Roy  might  wander  back,  or 
her  son  or  Harry  Montray  might  return,  and  they 
would  not  know  what  to  expect  if  only  the  servants 
were  there  to  explain  matters. 

Our  friends  had  brought  their  most  needed  lug 
gage  with  them.  They  had  expected  to  go  to  some 
hotel  or  wood-camp  near  the  Russman  bungalow,  but 
though  there  was  one  not  far  off,  Mr.  Russman 
would  not  hear  of  their  leaving  him  and  his  wife. 
There  was  plenty  of  room  in  the  bungalow,  he  in 
sisted,  which  was  perfectly  true,  and  they  would 
want  to  be  there  to  hear  the  first  news — good  or  bad. 

But  Rose  and  Sylvia,  almost  with  tears  in  their 
eyes,  refused  to  admit  the  possibility  of  anything 
but  good  tidings. 

From  their  cases  the  girls  and  Mrs.  Brownley  took 
stout  walking  shoes,  short  skirts  of  a  kind  to  defy 
brambles  and  briars,  and  with  a  lunch,  a  portable 
coffee  outfit,  and  other  necessaries  and  some  medi 
cines,  they  fared  forth. 

Somehow  or  other  the  spirits  of  all  rose  as  they 
started  off  on  the  search.  It  was  the  very  fact  of 
doing  something,  and  not  sitting  in  the  darkness, 
waiting,  that  caused  this.  The  energy  of  work  drove 
out  the  bad  spirits  of  inactivity. 

Professor  Russman  showed  Sylvia  and  the  others 
where  Roy  had  entered  the  woods  as  he  rushed  from 
the  table  the  night  before,  when  the  delirium  so 
unaccountably  seized  him.  It  was  a  well-travelled 
trail,  and  of  course  no  special  footprints  could  be 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         247 

seen.  Presently  this  trail  branched  off  into  several 
others,  and  there  was  no  way  of  telling  which  path 
Roy  had  followed. 

"  But  perhaps  Old  Sam  can  tell  us,"  Mr.  Russ- 
man  said,  hopefully. 

Their  hopes,  however,  were  doomed  to  disappoint 
ment.  Sam  was  at  home.  He  told  of  the  visit  of 
Adolph  and  Harry  and  described  the  plan  of  pro 
cedure  he  had  mapped  out  for  them.  He  had  told 
the  two  young  men  to  come  back  if  they  were  unsuc 
cessful,  and  then  new  plans  would  be  made. 

"  Well,  we  will  start  from  your  cabin,  and  make 
a  general  search  until  my  son  and  Harry  come 
back,"  said  the  scientist.  "  We  may  come  upon  Roy 
unexpectedly." 

The  search  was  taken  up,  but  at  noon  had  brought 
no  results.  Sam  himself  had  gone  off  on  a  little-used 
trail.  He  said  he  would  search  along  that,  and  also 
take  word  to  some  fellow-guides. 

Our  friends  ate  the  lunch  they  had  brought  with 
them,  and,  after  a  rest,  started  forth  again.  But 
as  the  afternoon  shadows  lengthened,  and  their  shouts 
and  cries,  as  well  as  their  close  scrutiny,  had  resulted 
in  nothing,  discouragement  again  held  them  all  in  its 
fearsome  grip. 

"  We  had  better  go  no  farther,"  Professor  Russ- 
man  said  at  length,  as  he  noted  how  near  the  sun 
was  to  setting.  "  We  had  better  go  back." 

"  And  give  up  ?  "  asked  Rose. 

"  Only    for    the    night.     Unacquainted    with    the 


248         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

woods  as  we  are,  we  might  become  lost  ourselves, 
and  that  would  be  bad.  We  must  go  back,  and  leave 
what  night-searching  can  be  done  to  the  guides  and 
canoemen." 

With  heavy  hearts  they  retraced  their  steps  to 
Old  Sam's  cabin.  They  found  Adolph  and  Harry 
waiting  for  them.  It  was  the  first  time  Sylvia  and 
her  friends  had  seen  Roy's  companion  since  the  two 
had  come  to  the  mountains.  There  was  a  meeting 
that  was  as  happy  as  possible  under  the  circum 
stances.  Harry  told  more  details  of  Roy's  case. 

"  He  was  on  the  road  to  recovery  when  this  hap 
pened,"  he  said,  sadly.  "  Perhaps  if  I  had  not  al 
lowed  him  to  make  this  trip 

"  It  wasn't  your  fault  at  all !  "  interrupted  Sylvia, 
quickly.  "  We  must  think  now  of  what  to  do  next." 

"  Send  out  a  general  alarm,  I  should  say,"  broke 
in  Professor  Russman. 

"  I  think  so,"  agreed  his  son,  and  Harry  nodded 
his  acquiescence. 

"It's  the  only  thing  left,"  declared  Old  Sam. 
"  I'll  spread  the  word,"  and  taking  down  a  conch 
horn  from  his  cabin  wall  he  blew  a  deep  mellow  blast, 
that  echoed  and  echoed  again  through  the  forest. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 
THE  SEARCH 

LONG  blasts  and  short  blasts  did  Old  Sam  blow  on 
the  mellow  conch  horn  as,  with  his  lips  pressed. to 
the  opening,  he  puffed  out  his  cheeks.  Now  the 
sound  would  almost  die  away,  to  blare  out  again 
with  a  suddenness  that  startled  the  girls. 

"What — what  does  it  mean?"  faltered  Sylvia. 

"  It  sounds  like  something  I  heard  when  once  I 
was  in  Scotland,"  commented  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  An 
old  chieftain  thus  summoned  the  members  of  his 
clan." 

"  It's  the  general  alarm,"  explained  Harry. 
"  The  guides  have  a  way  of  signalling  to  one  another 
that  way.  They  can  send  all  sorts  of  messages. 
This  one  is  to  summon  all  who  hear  the  horn  to  join 
in  a  search." 

"  How  good  of  them  !  "  Sylvia  said. 

"  Do  they  often  gather  together  this  way  for  a 
general  alarm  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Occasionally,"  explained  Adolph,  who  had  spent 
nearly  all  of  his  summers  in  the  Adirondacks.  "  Now 
and  then  a  hunter  will  wander  away  from  his  camp, 
or  become  separated  from  his  party  and  have  to 
be  found  in  this  way." 

249 


250        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Are  there  any  who  are  never  found?  "  questioned 
Rose,  in  a  low  voice,  and  in  an  aside  to  Harry. 

He  paused  a  moment  before  answering.  A  look 
into  her  face  showed  how  much  in  earnest  she  was. 
Harry  decided  upon  his  answer. 

"  They  always  find  them,"  he  said,  speaking  cheer 
fully.  He  did  not  add  that  sometimes  the  missing 
ones  were  found  too  late.  What  was  the  need  of 
frightening  Rose? 

"  How  long  will  it  be  before  you  and  your  friends 
will  be  ready  to  start  out  on  the  search?"  asked 
Mr.  Russman  of  the  old  guide. 

"  We  will  start  in  the  morning,"  he  said.  "  The 
men  will  gather  here  to-night,  and  I'll  tell  them 
what's  up.  We'll  start  out  as  soon  as  it's  light 
enough  to  see,  and  that  will  be  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  these  days." 

"  Can't  we  do  anything?  "  asked  Sylvia.  "  We 
want  to  help,  oh,  so  much !  " 

Old  Sam  looked  at  her  keenly.  He  must  have 
understood  her  feelings.  Then  Rose  broke  in  with: 

"Oh,  please  let  us  do  something!  It  is  terrible 
just  to  sit  and  wait!" 

Old  Sam  nodded  his  head  sagely. 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  had 
a  brother  once  lost  in  these  woods." 

"  Did  they  find  him  again  ?  "  asked  Hazel,  eagerly. 

"  Oh,  yes,  miss.  But  it  was  some  time,  and 

But  there !  we'll  find  this  young  man,  all  right !  "  and 
he  changed  his  voice  to  a  more  cheerful  tone. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACK^         251 

"  And  may  we  help?  "  repeated  Sylvia,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,"  said  Sam.  "  If  I  were  you  I'd  not  go 
too  far  from  the  bungalow,  though.  What  I  mean 
is  that  your  brother  may  return  unexpectedly.  In 
fact  he  may  not  be  far  from  here  now,  but  he  may 
be  going  around  in  a  sort  of  circle.  If  he  was  as 
ill  as  you  say  he  was,  he  probably  wouldn't  go  very 
far. 

"  But  my  friends  and  I  will  take  in  all  the  trails 
within  a  circle  of  ten  miles,  and  you  girls  had  better 
not  go  more  than  three  in  any  direction  from  the 
bungalow.  Then  you  won't  be  lost.  We  don't  want 
to  have  to  search  for  two  and  even  more  lost  per 
sons,"  he  added,  with  a  smile. 

"  Say,  Sam,"  demanded  Adolph,  with  the  freedom 
of  an  old  acquaintance,  "  can't  you  furnish  us  with 
a  guide?  One  that  can  pilot  us  around  in  the  woods 
near  the  bungalow.  I  know  the  forest  pretty  well, 
but  I  confess  I  might  get  lost  myself.  Suppose  you 
give  us  a  guide  and  we'll  organise  a  searching  party 
of  our  own." 

"  That's  a  good  idea,"  Sam  said.  "  I'll  do  that. 
Two  parties  ought  to  be  better  than  one,  just  as 
two  heads  are  better  than  a  single  one.  Now  my 
advice  to  you  is  to  go  back  to  your  bungalow,  and 
get  a  good  night's  rest.  We  can't  do  much  at  night, 
anyhow,  particularly  at  this  stage.  Later  on,  if 
we  have  to  make  a  torchlight  search  we  can  do  it. 
But  there's  no  need  now.  Go  home  and  rest.  I'll 
be  getting  ready  for  the  guides.  They'll  soon  be 


252        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

coming  in,  that  is,  all  that  aren't  out  with  summer 
parties." 

"Will  they  all  I  ar  that  horn?"  asked  Sylvia, 
indicating  the  one  Sam  had  blown. 

"  Well,  not  all,  miss.  But  them  as  does  hear  it 
will  blow  another  of  their  own,  and  so  on.  The  word 
will  be  passed  along." 

"  Hark !  "  exclaimed  Rose. 

From  somewhere  off  in  the  forest  there  came  the 
mellow  notes  of  another  conch  horn.  Clear  and  pleas 
ant  it  sounded,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  import  of 
the  blast,  the  girls  would  have  enjoyed  it,  for  the 
tones  fell  sweetly  on  the  evening  air.  But  now  it 
seemed  sadly  melancholy. 

"That'll  be  Jim  Judson,"  said  Sam.  "  He'll 
make  them  hear  as  I  couldn't.  We'll  soon  have  quite 
a  party  here.  I'll  attend  to  the  rest  now,  so  you 
folks  had  better  go  back  to  the  bungalow  and  get 
some  sleep." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Sylvia,  wearily.  "  It 
is  all  we  can  do  until  morning." 

"  And  you  will  be  able  to  do  all  the  better  work  in 
the  morning  if  you  rest  to-night,  my  dear,"  said 
Mrs.  Brownley.  "  You  look  quite  tired  out." 

Indeed  Sylvia  did  look  worn  out,  for  she  had  not 
slept,  and  though  the  girls  were  sturdy,  and  accus 
tomed  to  long  tramps  in  the  woods,  they  were  all 
tired  now.  A  rest  would  be  a  benefit  to  all  of  them. 

"  Well,  let  us  go  back,"  suggested  Mr.  Russman. 

"  Yes,  the  sooner  we  begin  to  rest  the  sooner  we 


253 

shall  be  able  to  take  up  the  search,"  Mrs.  Brownley 
added. 

Rose  and  Sylvia  walked  together  on  the  back  trail. 
It  was  as  if  they  had  a  common  bond  of  sympathy 
between  them,  as  indeed  they  had.  They  did  not  say 
much,  partly  because  they  were  too  tired,  and  also 
for  the  reason  that  they  were  doing  much  thinking. 

"  Oh,  isn't  it  just  dreadful! "  murmured  Rose,  as 
they  walked  along  in  the  gathering  twilight. 

"  I  can't  bear  it — sometimes ! "  agreed  Sylvia. 
"  To  think  of  his  being  out  there,"  and  she  indicated 
the  forest  that  surrounded  them. 

As  they  walked  along  they  could  hear,  now  and 
then,  the  calling  of  the  conch  shell,  as  one  guide 
signalled  from  his  lonely  cabin,  or  camp,  to  another 
of  his  fellows.  The  sounds  came  sweetly  over  the 
ocean  of  green  trees. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  any  of  the  party  ate  with 
good  appetites  when  the  bungalow  was  reached.  But 
even  the  food  they  did  take  was  of  benefit  to  them. 
Sylvia  felt  much  stronger,  and  certainly  more  hope 
ful  after  the  meal,  and  so  did  Rose. 

But  she  and  the  others  dreaded  the  long  night, 
when  many  thoughts  would  crowd  in  upon  them. 
A  part  of  the  evening  was  spent  in  talk  with  Harry, 
who  told  of  Roy's  condition  since  he  had  come  to  the 
Adirondacks  with  him.  The  lost  chemical  formula 
had,  it  appeared,  bothered  the  patient  more  than  a 
little.  It  was  really  keeping  him  from  getting  well. 

"  And  then  came  this  outbreak,"  Harry  went  on. 


254        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  It  seemed  to  be  the  climax.  I  never  saw  Roy  do 
anything  more  suddenly  than  when  he  leaped  away 
from  the  table  and  rushed  out  into  the  woods.  And 
he  seemed  to  disappear  as  if  the  very  earth  had 
swallowed  him  up.  But  we'll  find  him — never  fear !  " 
he  exclaimed,  as  he  saw  a  look  of  pain  pass  over  the 
face  of  Sylvia.  "  We'll  get  him  back." 

Sylvia  and  the  others  slept  from  very  exhaustion, 
and  in  Sylvia's  case,  particularly,  the  hours  of  rest 
in  the  darkness  performed  a  much-needed  service. 
She  was  on  the  verge  of  a  nervous  breakdown,  but 
was  saved  from  it. 

She  was  awake  early — much  earlier  than  any  of 
the  others — and  feeling  that  she  could  not  sleep 
any  more,  and  that  to  lie  in  bed,  tossing  restlessly 
about,  would  only  make  her  more  nervous,  she  arose, 
took  a  bath,  dressed  and  went  downstairs.  Only  the 
servants  were  about. 

Sylvia  went  out  on  the  porch.  Sitting  on  a  stump 
somewhat  down  the  path  was  a  man — a  typical 
guide.  He  was  idly  whittling  a  stick,  the  soft,  curl 
ing  shavings  falling  in  a  heap  at  his  feet.  Sylvia 
guessed  who  he  was. 

"  Good  morning,"  she  said. 

The  guide  did  not  start.  It  was  as  if  he  had  seen 
her  come  out  and  had  known  she  was  going  to  speak, 
though  his  back  was  toward  the  house. 

"  Mornin',"  he  said,  in  a  mellow  voice.  "  Old 
Sam  sent  me  up  here  to  help  with  the  searchin' 
party." 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         255 

"  I'm  glad,"  said  Sylvia,  eagerly.  "  It  is  ray 
brother  who  is  lost.  Oh,  tell  me!  do  you  think  we 
shaU  find  him?" 

"  Of  course,  miss.  Sartin  sure !  "  he  exclaimed, 
shutting  his  knife  with  a  snap  and  standing  up.  He 
was  tall  and  lanky,  but  he  had  a  good  face,  and  his 
blue  eyes  seemed  to  look  right  through  one. 

There  was  an  early  breakfast.  The  guide,  who 
was  known  to  Mr.  Russman  and  his  son,  listened 
carefully  to  a  statement  of  what  had  happened,  and 
nodded  his  head. 

"  All  right,"  he  said.  "  We'll  try  all  the  trails 
around  here.  Now,  if  you're  ready,  we'll  start.  Old 
Sam  and  the  others  are  on  the  search  long  ago." 

And  so  they  started  off  once  more  to  find  the  miss 
ing  one. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

LOST 

PETE  WHARTON,  the  guide  who  had  been  sent  by 
Old  Sam,  looked  critically  over  the  little  party  he 
was  leading  into  the  woods,  and  along  the  trails 
that  formed  a  network  for  several  miles  about  the 
Russman  bungalow.  They  did  not  intend  to  get 
more  than  three  miles  away  from  the  bungalow  in 
any  direction. 

"  Well,  I  reckon  we're  pretty  well  equipped,"  said 
Pete,  as  if  satisfied  with  his  scrutiny.  "  We've  got 
plenty  of  blank  cartridges  to  fire  for  signals,  and 
we've  got  whistles  and  horns.  There's  enough  grub 
for  the  lunch,  and  we've  got  to  come  back  by  dark, 
anyhow." 

"  I've  got  some  of  those  pocket  electric  flash 
lights,"  explained  Harry. 

"  Well,  maybe  they're  all  right  for  you  folks,  but 
I'd  rather  have  a  good  oil  lantern  or  a  bark  torch," 
the  guide  said.  "  Howsomever,  maybe  we  won't  need 
either." 

The  man  who  ran  Mr.  Russman's  motor  boat  was 
to  go  along  to  carry  the  lunch  basket,  which  included 
a  coffee  pot  and  a  little  alcohol  stove,  for  they  did 
not  want  to  wait  to  build  a  camp  fire. 

256 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         257 

The  girls  wore  their  short  walking  skirts  and  stout 
shoes,  for  the  trail  was  anything  but  smooth.  Each 
one  carried  a  stick  Pete  had  cut  for  her. 

Sylvia  tried  to  get  Mrs.  Brownley  to  remain  at 
home,  but  the  chaperon  stoutly  refused  to  desert. 

"  I  can  walk  as  well  as  any  of  you  girls ! "  she 
said,  with  a  smile,  "  and  I  want  to  know,  as  soon  as 
you  do,  when  Roy  is  found." 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  we  find  him  soon ! "  cried  Sylvia. 
"  He  might  become  hopelessly  lost  on  these  moun 
tains.  Men  have  done  so  before  and  have  lost  their 
lives  from  exposure." 

"  Not  very  often,"  Harry  made  haste  to  say. 
"  And  now,  when  the  woods  are  full  of  camping  and 
pleasure  parties,  when  every  lake  and  stream  has 
canoeists  on  it,  and  when  such  a  large  searching  party 
— two  of  them,  in  fact — is  out,  Roy  surely  will  be 
found." 

"  I  wish  I  had  your  faith,"  said  Rose,  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  You  must  have  it ! "  Harry  said  to  her,  in  a 
whisper,  so  that  Sylvia  would  not  hear.  **  We  must 
all  help  her  to  keep  up,"  he  urged,  and  Rose  knew 
well  to  whom  he  referred.  "  If  she  collapses  on  our 
hands  we  shall  have  to  send  for  Mr.  or  Mrs.  Pur- 
sell,  and  you  know  what  that  would  mean." 

"  Oh,  I  shouldn't  be  discouraged,  I  know,"  mur 
mured  Rose.  "  And  I'll  try  not  to  be.  But  it  is 
very  hard." 

"  I  understand,"  said  Harry,  sympathetically. 


358        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  But  you  needn't  be  afraid  Sylvia  will  collapse," 
Rose  went  on.  "  She  isn't  that  kind." 

"  I  didn't  think  she  was,  and  I  don't  want  you 
to  show  the  white  feather,  either."  He  spoke  a  trifle 
sharply,  but  he  had  a  purpose  in  it. 

A  little  red  spot  burned  in  either  of  the  formerly 
pale  cheeks  of  Rose. 

"  The  white  feather ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  How  dare 
you  suggest  such  a  thing !  I — I " 

"  There,  there,"  broke  in  Harry,  soothingly. 
"No  need  to  fly  off  the  handle!  I  just  don't  want 
to  put  too  much  on  Sylvia.  After  all,  Roy  is  her 
brother." 

**  Yes,  but  he  is  my " 

Rose  stopped  short,  blushed  vividly  and  turned 
aside  her  head.  Harry  smiled  to  himself. 

"  I  thought  that  would  fetch  her,"  he  thought. 
"  We  shan't  have  any  more  trouble  from  her.  She'll 
keep  her  nerves  together  for  the  sake  of  Sylvia,  and 
Sylvia  will  do  the  same  for  Rose.  That,"  he  added 
to  himself  more  or  less  judicially,  "  is  what  might  be 
called  playing  both  ends  against  the  middle."  Harry 
was  pleased  with  his  tactics. 

Under  the  direction  of  Pete  Wharton  they  adopted 
a  systematic  plan  of  search.  Pete  knew  every  trail 
in  the  woods,  and  had  them  in  his  head  as  a  sort  of 
map.  Pete  began  at  a  certain  place  in  reference  to 
the  "  deserted  bungalow,"  as  the  girls  often  called 
the  place  to  themselves,  and  he  said  they  would  follow 
each  trail  in  turn  until  they  had  reached  the  three- 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         259 

mile  limit.  In  some  cases,  he  added,  they  might  take 
in  a  four-mile  section. 

They  would  start  back  toward  the  bungalow  by 
another  route  on  reaching  their  set  limit  on  the  trail, 
and  so  cover  the  ground  zigzag  fashion. 

Now  and  then,  as  the  party  advanced  through 
the  dense  forest,  pierced  only  by  narrow  trails,  they 
stopped  and  shouted  Roy's  name.  Occasionally  shots 
were  fired,  and  horns  or  whistles  sounded.  The 
other  party  of  guides,  under  the  direction  of  Old 
Sam,  was  far  enough  away  to  keep  the  sounds  from 
conflicting,  for  Sam's  party,  also,  was  doubtless  call 
ing  and  signalling  in  various  ways. 

Sylvia  had  hopes  that  it  would  take  only  a  little 
searching  on  the  part  of  her  friends  to  discover  Roy. 
She  had  a  feeling  that  he  would  become  weary  of 
wandering  in  the  woods  all  alone,  that  the  delirium 
would  leave  him,  and  that  he  would  be  found  trying 
to  make  his  way  back  to  the  bungalow. 

"  And  if  he  does  go  back — I  mean  if  he  wanders 
back  of  his  own  accord,  we'll  not  say  anything  to  him ; 
shall  we?"  propounded  Rose,  as  she  and  the  others 
paused  for  a  moment  on  the  brink  of  a  little  hill, 
while  Mrs.  Brownley,  in  the  rear,  sat  on  a  log  to 
rest. 

"  Say  anything  to  him — what  do  you  mean  ?  "  de 
manded  Sylvia,  who  was  in  advance,  and  she  turned 
around  quickly.  "  Why  shouldn't  we  say  anything 
to  him?  Just  because  he " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  it  that  way  at  all,  my  dear !  " 


260        THE    NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

exclaimed  Rose  quickly,  as  the  red  mounted  to  her 
cheeks  again.  "  You  didn't  understand  me.  I  meant 
that  if  we  didn't  find  Roy " 

"  Oh,  we  are  sure  to  find  him !  "  interrupted  Hazel. 
"  Don't  suggest  such  dire  possibilities,  my  dear." 

"  I  didn't  exactly  mean  that,  either,"  hastily  pro 
tested  Rose. 

"  Give  her  a  chance,"  suggested  Sylvia.  "  I  guess 
we're  all  so  tired  and  worried  that  we  are  getting  on 
one  another's  nerves.  What  do  you  want  to  say, 
Rose?  "  and  she  smiled  at  her  chum ;  smiled,  it  is  true, 
but  in  so  wan  and  mirthless  a  fashion  that  the  hearts 
of  all  ached  for  her. 

"  What  I  was  trying  to  say,"  resumed  Rose,  "  was 
that  if  Roy  did,  by  some  good  fortune,  make  his  way 
back  to  the  bungalow  alone,  as  he  is  very  apt  to  do, 
and  if  we  came  back  from  our  search  and  found  him 
there,  wouldn't  it  be  better  not  to  say  anything  to 
him  about  his  having  gone  away?  " 

"  Why,  it  isn't  a  secret;  is  it?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Oh  dear !  "  half  laughed  Rose.  "  I  do  seem  to  be 
very  stupid  to-day,  somehow  or  other." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  we  who  are  stupid,"  suggested 
Sylvia.  "  I  think  I  know  what  you  mean,  though. 
You " 

"  No,  let  me  say  it  for  myself,"  insisted  Rose. 
"  Otherwise  I  shall  surely  think  I  am  failing  in  my 
descriptive  powers,  and  I'll  never  fit  in  at  college.  I 
mean  that  it  might  embarrass  Roy  to  have  us  men 
tion  that  he — well,  to  be  frank,  that  he  went  off  in  a 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         261 

fit  of  delirium.  It  would  be  better  to  ignore  it  alto 
gether,  I  think,  and  act  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
Just  try  and  talk  naturally  to  him,  about  the  weather, 
or  camping,  or — — " 

"  Rose,  you're  the  sweetest  girl ! "  interrupted 
Sylvia,  putting  her  arms  about  her  chum.  "  I  never 
would  have  thought  of  that.  I'd  have  gone  and 
blurted  out  something  about  how  terrible  it  was  for 
him  to  run  off  the  way  he  did,  or  I'd  ask  him  where 
he  had  been  hiding,  or  else  worry  about  his  health, 
and  ask  a  lot  of  foolish  questions.  I'm  so  glad  you 
thought  of  that !  " 

"  Oh,  perhaps  it  would  have  come  to  you,  also," 
said  Rose,  not  wanting  to  take  too  much  credit  to 
herself.  "  But,  really,  don't  you  think  that  would 
be  the  wisest  plan  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly !  "  agreed  Alice.  "  It's  always 
best,  when  a  person  is  out  of  his  mind — Oh,  I  didn't 

mean !  "  and  she  stopped  herself  by  putting  her 

hand  over  her  lips,  giving  Sylvia  a  conscience-stricken 
glance. 

"  I  don't  in  the  least  mind,  Alice  dear,"  interrupted 
the  sister  of  the  missing  youth.  "  Roy  certainly  is  out 
of  his  mind,  only  temporarily,  I  hope — we  all  hope," 
she  added,  as  she  saw  Rose  about  to  interpose  an 
objection.  "  There  is  no  use  mincing  words,"  Sylvia 
went  on.  "  Roy  is  what  might  be  called  mildly 
insane " 

"  Oh!  "  interjected  Rose,  with  a  sort  of  gesture  of 
denial. 


262        THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  We  might  as  well  meet  the  issue  bravely,"  in 
sisted  Sylvia,  "  we  can  handle  it  better  so." 

"  As  long  as  we  know  it  isn't  a  family  defect,  and 
that  it  only  came  to  Roy  as  a  sort  of  horrid  disease," 
added  Alice. 

Sylvia  nodded,  gravely,  and  resumed. 

"  So  I  think  it  will  be  well  to  adopt  the  plan  Rose 
has  suggested  and  simply  act,  when  we  see  Roy  again, 
as  if  nothing  had  happened.  That,  I  have  read,  is 
the  best  way  to  treat  people  who  have  had  anything 
the  matter  with  their  minds.  It  keeps  them  from 
brooding  on  their  troubles,  and  helps  them  to  recover 
more  quickly. 

"  That  is  what  they  do  in  asylums,  I  believe,"  she 
added,  after  a  pause. 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that — don't  use  that  word,"  begged 
Rose. 

"  Well,  sanitarium,  if  you  like  that  better,"  said 
Sylvia.  "  But,  really,  I  am  not  at  all  sensitive  on  the 
subject  now.  I  will  admit  that,  at  first,  it  was  a  ter 
rible  shock — as  was  this  one,  of  finding  that  Roy  had 
run  away.  But  I  am  getting  bravely  over  it.  Why 
should  one  shun,  or  try  to  ignore,  or  cover  up,  a  dis 
ease  of  the  mind,  when  we  are  so  ready  to  talk  about 
diseases  of  the  body?  I  have  often  heard  women 
boast  of  having  been  successfully  operated  on  for 
appendicitis,  but  if  there  was  the  least  mention  of 
some  mental  ailment,  even  though  it  be  a  temporary 
one,  they  shrank  from  it  as  if  it  were  some  dis 
grace." 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         263 

"  Of  course  it  isn't  a  disgrace ! "  exclaimed  Rose, 
warmly,  coming  to  the  defence  of  the  absent  Roy. 
"  You  look  at  it  in  just  the  right  way,  Sylvia;  a  dis 
ease  of  the  mind  is  no  different  from  one  of  the  body, 
though  it  may  be  more  distressing.  But,  as  you  say, 
this  is  only  temporary,  I'm  sure.  Roy  will  soon  be 
with  us  again,  and  like  himself." 

"  And  I  pray  that  it  may  be  soon,"  murmured 
Sylvia. 

There  was  a  suspicion  of  tears  in  her  eyes ;  nor  were 
those  of  her  chums  altogether  dry. 

Alice,  indeed,  saved  them  all  from  breaking  down 
completely,  by  exclaiming: 

"  Then  it's  agreed !  If  we  get  back,  and  find  Roy 
waiting  for  us  at  the  bungalow,  we'll  just  be  as  jolly 
as  we  can,  and  pretend  it  was  all  a  sort  of  lark,  or 
game." 

"  That's  it,"  said  Sylvia.  "  Of  course  this  is  de 
pendent  on  finding  that  Roy's  mind  is  still  troubling 
him  when  next  we  see  him.  He  may  be  altogether 
over  it." 

"  For  which  we  shall  all  hope  and  pray,"  said 
Rose  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Hazel.  "  After  all,  this  may  be  the 
best  thing  in  the  world  for  him.  I  mean,"  she  added 
quickly,  as  she  caught  Sylvia's  startled  glance,  "  it 
may  be  the  crisis,  or  the  turning  point,  just  as  a 
fever  is  highest  before  it  breaks  and  the  patient  gets 
better." 

"  Well,  there's  nothing  like  looking  on  the  bright 


264        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

side  of  things,"  remarked  Sylvia,  and  she  tried  to 
infuse  cheerfulness  and  gaiety  into  her  voice,  but  it 
was  a  hard  task. 

"  They  are  calling  us,"  said  Rose,  after  a  moment's 
pause,  the  silence  that  fell  being  punctuated  by  a 
hail  from  one  of  the  searching  party. 

"  Yes,  it's  Pete,  and  he's  signalling  to  us,"  agreed 
Alice,  looking  off  through  the  trees. 

"  I  wonder —  '  began  Sylvia.  "  No,  he  hasn't 
found  anything.  I  guess  he's  just  tired  of  waiting 
for  us,"  she  added,  for  the  guide,  having  motioned 
to  the  girls  to  follow,  again  set  off  along  the  trail. 
"He'd  have  given  the  sign  if  he  had  discovered  any 
clue." 

For  the  parties  had  adopted  some  simple  visual 
signs,  as  well  as  audible  ones,  that  they  might  signal 
to  one  another  when  some  distance  apart.  And  Pete 
had  not  given  the  "  found  "  symbol. 

Talking,  speculating,  wondering,  the  girls  ad 
vanced  once  more,  heading  down  a  little  wooded  glade 
where  the  guide  could  be  observed,  peering  here  and 
there  for  any  sign  that  would  indicate  the  passage 
of  the  missing  young  man. 

"Anything  hopeful?"  asked  Sylvia,  as  they  came 
within  speaking  distance. 

"  No,  miss,  I'm  sorry  to  say  it,  but  that's  the 
truth.  It  don't  look  as  if  he'd  passed  this  way.  But 
there's  a  lonely  sort  of  trail,  a  little  farther  on,  and 
I  want  to  take  a  look  at  that." 

"Lonely!    What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Rose. 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         265 

"  Well,  I  mean  it's  one  that's  seldom  travelled, 
miss,  and  the  young  man,  being  as  you  might  say — • 
er — sort  of — — " 

"  Out  of  his  head,  Pete.  You  needn't  mind  saying 
it,"  put  in  Sylvia,  wishing  to  put  the  honest  old 
fellow  at  his  ease. 

"  Well,  miss,  since  you're  so  nice  about  it — out  of 
his  head,  then.  Since  he's  that  way,  and  partly  not 
responsible  for  what  he  does,  I  thought  maybe  he 
might  take  the  lonesome  trail  from  choice,  though 
most  folks  wouldn't." 

"  I  see,"  agreed  the  sister. 

"  That's  why  I  spoke  about  comin'  in  here,"  Pete 
went  on.  "  It's  just  possible  we'll  see  some  signs  if 
we  go  in  a  way." 

He  led  the  way  into  what  soon  proved  to  be  a 
dense  patch  of  wood,  almost  a  swamp  in  fact,  though 
through  it  ran  a  trail  that  was  faintly  defined. 

"  It  doesn't  look  as  if  any  one  had  been  along  here 
for  ages,"  whispered  Alice. 

Somehow  it  seemed  natural  to  whisper  in  that  eerie 
place. 

"  I  told  you  it  was  lonesome,  miss,"  answered  the 
guide.  "  But  if  you  don't  want  to  come " 

"  Oh,  we  wouldn't  desert  for  the  world ! "  cried 
Sylvia,  quickly.  "  Go  on,  Pete,  we'll  follow." 

And  on  they  went.  The  way  led  downward,  and 
as  they  reached  the  lowest  point,  where  the  water 
lay  in  pools,  there  came  a  sudden  noise  in  the  bushes, 
to  one  side  of  the  trail. 


266        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Oh ! "  screamed  Rose,  nor  was  she  alone  in  being 
alarmed,  for  the  others  echoed  her  cries. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

A  small  reddish-coloured  animal,  with  seemingly  an 
unnecessarily  large  tail,  sprang  out,  was  seen  for  a 
flash,  and  then  disappeared  in  the  underbrush. 

"  A  dog !  "  cried  Alice.  "  Maybe  it  is  helping  in 
the  search — one  of  the  guide's  dogs  ?  "  and  she  looked 
questioningly  at  Pete. 

"  It  was  a  fox,"  he  said,  drily.  "  There's  been  a 
den  of  'em  in  here  for  years.  They're  harmless." 

The  girls  breathed  more  easily,  and  kept  on.  But 
they  soon  exhausted  the  possibilities  of  the  lonely 
trail,  and  found  not  a  sign  that  Roy  had  traversed  it. 

"  Well,  no  luck  there,"  said  Pete,  as  they  emerged 
again.  "  But  there's  one  satisfaction,"  he  went  on, 
looking  at  Sylvia,  "  you  said  your  brother  was  used 
to  the  woods ;  didn't  you?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered.  "  He  would  be  quite  at 
home  in  the  forest." 

Roy  was  a  woodsman  of  no  small  skill,  and  he  had 
a  good  sense  of  direction,  which  is  invaluable  to  a 
hunter  or  forest-lover.  Set  Roy  down  in  a  big  wood, 
and  let  him  once  get  an  idea  of  the  points  of  the  com 
pass  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  lose  him.  But  that, 
of  course,  was  when  he  was  in  normal  health.  Now, 
alas,  he  was  not  himself.  And  what  had  happened 
to  him  Sylvia  and  the  others  could  only  surmise. 

But  Sylvia's  hope  that  her  brother  would  soon  be 
found  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  As  the  hours 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         267 

passed,  and  as  trail  after  trail  was  carefully  scanned, 
and  no  sign  of  the  missing  one  was  found,  the  spirits 
of  all  fell. 

For  signs  of  Roy  were  looked  for,  as  well  as  his 
actual  presence.  That  was  the  value  of  having  Pete 
along.  He  could  see  things  the  others  would  pass 
by  unwittingly.  It  might  be  a  shred  of  clothing, 
caught  on  some  bramble  or  bush,  or  a  mark  in  the 
soft  dirt  of  the  trail,  a  footprint  in  a  bed  of  moss. 

I  say  it  might  be  any  of  those  things,  but,  unfor 
tunately,  it  was  none  of  them. 

Harry  had  been  able  to  describe  the  kind  of  shoes 
Roy  wore.  They  were  the  same  sort  that  Harry 
himself  had  on,  heavy,  with  soles  well  studded  with 
nails  to  prevent  slipping.  If  any  one  with  such  a 
pair  of  shoes  had  stepped  into  soft  dirt,  a  mark 
would  have  been  left  that  easily  would  have  been 
recognised. 

But  no  such  marks  came  to  the  notice  of  the  guide, 
and  when  noon  came  he  shook  his  head  in  puzzled 
fashion.  But  he  took  good  care  not  to  let  Sylvia 
see  him  give  this  indication  of  discouragement. 

"  Oh,  shall  we  ever  find  him?  "  Sylvia  murmured, 
as  she  sank  down  wearily  on  a  log  to  rest. 

"  Of  course  we'll  find  him ! "  exclaimed  Harry, 
signalling  to  Pete  to  confirm  this  assertion. 

"  Sartin  sure,  Miss  Pursell,"  said  the  tall,  gaunt, 
blue-eyed  man  of  the  woods.  "  We  haven't  struck 
the  most  likely  trails  as  yet.  We'll  hit  them  after 
dinner.  Now  set  up,  all  of  you,  and  have  grub — 


268         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

that  is,  askin'  your  pardon,  lady,  for  applyin'  sech  a 
common  name  to  victuals,"  he  added,  quickly,  with 
a  bow  in  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Brownley. 

"  That's  all  right,"  she  assured  him  heartily, 
and  with  a  manner  that  put  him  at  his  ease  at  once. 
"  I've  heard  many  an  expression  like  that  from  my 
girls,"  and  she  smiled  at  Sylvia  and  her  chums. 

"  We  call  it  *  eats,'  or  *  feed,'  "  Alice  volunteered. 

"  Oh,  I  know,  my  dears ! "  said  their  former 
teacher.  "  You  can't  be  in  a  girls'  school  as  long 
as  I  have  and  be  easily  shocked.  But  I  think  it 
will  do  us  all  good  to  have  some  of  Pete's  '  grub.' 
I  know  I  am  almost  famished,"  and  she  smiled  in 
the  best  of  good-fellowship. 

The  coffee  was  soon  boiling  on  the  alcohol  stove, 
Pete  having  found  a  spring  of  delicious  water.  Then 
the  "  table  "  was  set  on  a  fallen  log,  and  the  sand 
wiches  passed  around.  All  ate  with  better  appetites 
than  at  any  time  since  the  discovery  of  the  "  de 
serted  bungalow." 

But,  even  as  she  ate,  Sylvia  would  pause  now  and 
then  to  listen,  or  she  would  gaze  off  into  the  woods 
as  if  hoping  to  see  her  brother  come  walking  along 
amid  the  trees,  in  his  right  mind  at  least,  if  not 
clothed.  For  it  could  not  but  have  happened  that 
he  must  be  in  rather  a  ragged  and  dishevelled  state 
now  as  regards  .his  garments,  if  he  had  tramped 
much  through  the  dense  forest. 

But  there  came  no  sign,  no  sound,  and  again  the 
party  undertook  the  search,  but  in  somewhat  better 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         269 

spirits.  That  is  what  food  will  do  for  one,  even 
though  it  may  have  to  be  actually  forced  down.  The 
human  body,  after  all,  is  material,  though  the  mind 
has  a  great  control  over  it. 

They  went  well  up  the  mountain  around  Lower 
Saranac  Lake,  and  even  penetrated  to  the  shore  of 
the  lake  itself,  keeping  along  that  for  some  dis 
tance.  But  it  was  all  without  avail. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Pete,  slowly,  when  he  noticed 
the  shadow  on  Sylvia's  face  deepening,  "  Old  Sam 
and  the  others  may  have  had  some  news  of  him 
before  this.  We  won't  know  that  until  we  get  back 
to  the  bungalow,  though." 

"  But  to  go  back  we  would  have  to  give  up  the 
search  here,"  Roy's  sister  said.  "  And  we  can't  do 
that.  We'll  keep  on  until  dark,  and  then  we'll  go 
to  the  bungalow,  and  if  we  have  no  good  news  I  hope 
some  will  be  waiting  for  us." 

"  I  hope  so,"  came  from  Rose,  as  she  stalked  on 
beside  Sylvia. 

There  were  two  trails  close  together  at  one  point, 
though  they  separated  widely  farther  on.  Sylvia 
and  her  three  chums,  with  Mrs.  Brownley,  were  on 
this,  while  the  guide,  with  Mr.  Russman,  his  son, 
Harry  and  the  boatman,  were  on  the  other.  Just 
how  it  happened  no  one  could  ever  explain,  but  the 
girls  must  have  gone  farther  than  they  intended, 
for,  of  a  sudden,  they  found  themselves  down  in  a 
little  glade  alone.  It  was  Sylvia  who  first  discov 
ered  it. 


270        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Why,  girls ! "  she  cried.  "  Where  are  the 
others?" 

"  Just  back  there  a  way,"  declared  Alice,  reas 
suringly. 

"  We  must  return  to  them  at  once,"  said  the 
chaperon.  "  It  will  never  do  to  be  separated." 

They  followed  the  trail  back,  but  when  they  came 
to  the  place  where  the  divergence  began  there  was 
no  sight  of  the  others.  For  a  moment  the  girls 
looked  wonderingly  at  each  other,  and  then  Sylvia 
said: 

"We  must  shout!" 

They  did,  but  they  could  not  be  sure  they  were 
answered.  Certainly  some  sounds  came  back  to  them, 
but  it  may  have  been  the  echoes. 

"  Hark ! "  suddenly  exclaimed  Hazel,  when  in  an 
other  moment  there  might  have  been  a  panic  of  fear 
for  all  of  them.  "  Some  one  is  coming." 

There  was  a  sound  of  approaching  footsteps,  and 
the  breaking  of  underbrush. 

"  Oh,  if  it  should  be "  began  Sylvia,  hope 
fully. 

But  the  light  in  her  eyes  died  out  a  moment  later, 
as  an  elderly  man  came  into  view.  The  girls  had 
never  seen  him  before,  but  he  seemed  to  be  one  who 
lived  in  the  woods. 

"  Afternoon,  ladies,"  was  his  cordial  greeting. 

"  Oh,  are  you  looking  for — him?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  For  whom,  miss  ?  "    He  seemed  a  bit  puzzled. 

"  My  brother.    He  is  lost  in  these  woods — has  been 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         271 

since  last  night.  We  are  searching  for  him  with  a 
party,  but  we  took  the  wrong,  trail.  However,  the 
others  must  be  near  here.  But  have  you  seen  my 
brother  ?  "  Quickly  she  described  Roy. 

"  By  hemlock ! "  exclaimed  the  old  man,  clapping 
his  hand  on  his  leg.  "  Say,  I  wouldn't  be  surprised 
if  that  was  him !  " 

"Who?  Oh,  where?  Tell  me!"  begged  Sylvia, 
in  her  eagerness  catching  hold  of  his  arm. 

"  Why,  about  an  hour  back,"  said  the  old  man, 
"  I  was  passing  along  the  Ampersand  trail,  and  on 
top  of  Bald  Mountain  I  see  a  feller  outlined  against 
the  sky.  He  didn't  have  no  hat  on,  and  he  seemed 
to  be  actin'  sort  of  queer.  I  thought  it  was  one  of 
the  campers  around  here.  Some  of  them  is  kinder 
foolish,"  he  added,  apologetically. 

"  I  know — go  on !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia. 

"  Well,  I  didn't  do  nothin',"  said  the  old  man.  "  I 
just  watched  this  feller  a  bit,  and  come  on.  Now 
I  meet  you  and " 

"  Oh,  I'm  sure  that  was  Roy ! "  Rose  cried. 
"  Which  way  is  it  to  Bald  Mountain  ?  " 

"  Right  back  on  this  trail  a  mile  or  so,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  one  he  had  been  travelling. 

"  Come  on !  "  cried  Sylvia,  eagerly.  "  Come  on !  " 
She  hardly  paused  to  thank  their  informant,  but 
rushed  along  the  trail.  Hardly  knowing  what  they 
were  doing,  but  overcome  by  the  excitement  and  the 
hope  of  finding  Roy,  the  others  followed.  They  did 
not  even  think  of  Mr.  Russman,  Harry  and  the 


272         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

others.  They  were  intent  on  getting  to  Bald  Moun 
tain  as  fast  as  they  could. 

Excitement  gave  them  strength.  Their  weariness 
seemed  to  vanish  magically.  Even  Mrs.  Brownley 
kept  up  with  the  girls,  and  she  was  not  a  young 
woman. 

The  trail  was  not  a  plain  one,  but  by  this  time 
the  girls  had  become  used  to  following  even  a  faint 
path  through  the  woods.  On  and  on  they  fairly 
rushed.  If  they  thought  of  the  others  at  all  it  was 
to  come  to  the  hasty,  if  incorrect,  conclusion  that 
they  could  easily  go  back  and  find  them  once  they 
had  located  Roy. 

"  How  far  did  he  say  it  was  to  Bald  Mountain?  " 
asked  Hazel,  when  the  pace  had  slackened  a  little. 

"  A  mile  or  so,"  replied  Alice. 

"  Well,  we've  come  more  than  a  mile — more  than 
two,  I  should  say,"  Hazel  went  on.  "  I  say,  girls, 
we'd  better  pull  up  a  bit,  and  think  of  what  we're 
doing." 

"  Oh,  don't  stop !  "  begged  Sylvia.  "  We  must  find 
him ! " 

"  But  we  must  find  Bald  Mountain  first,"  said 
Hazel.  "  And  I  don't  see  any  signs  of  it.  We 
seem  to  be  down  in  a  sort  of  swamp." 

They  were,  indeed,  on  low  ground,  and  the  trail 
now  turned  downward  instead  of  upward. 

"  Can  it  be  that  we  are — lost?  "  cried  Rose.  She 
hesitated  over  the  word. 

"  Lost !  "  gasped  Alice.     "  Oh,  it  can't  be !  " 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         273 

"  Keep  on  a  little  farther,"  Sylvia  urged.  "  We 
may  come  to  the  mountain  any  minute  now." 

But  the  farther  they  went  the  more  the  trail 
sloped  downward.  Clearly  they  had  come  in  the 
wrong  direction. 

"  We  are  lost !  "  said  Rose  at  last. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

UNEXPECTED  HELP 

FOB.  a  moment  a  feeling  of  panic  seemed  to  overcome 
not  only  the  girls,  but  Mrs.  Brownley  herself.  The 
word  "  lost  "  appeared  to  have  a  most  sinister  mean 
ing  under  the  circumstances. 

For  the  girls  had  left  their  friends,  the  guide  was 
with  Mr.  Russman  and  the  others,  and  they  had 
taken  a  wrong  trail. 

Were  they  to  be  lost,  even  as  Roy  was  lost,  and 
with  the  prospect  of  being  left  out  in  the  woods  with 
night  coming  on? 

It  was  a  question  that  each  one  hesitated  to  ask 
herself,  and  yet  it  was  one  that  needed  to  be  an 
swered. 

"  Oh,  we  can't  be  lost ! "  Sylvia  said  at  length. 
"  Here  is  the  path.  We  haven't  strayed  from  that." 

"  Yes,  but  what  good  is  it  to  us  if  we  don't  know 
where  it  leads  to?  "  Alice  wanted  to  know. 

"  Oh,  but  it  must  lead  somewhere,"  Sylvia  in 
sisted.  "  If  it  doesn't  lead  where  we  want  to  go, 
which,  just  at  present,  is  Bald  Mountain,  then  we 
must  go  back  along  it  until  we  get  on  the  right  trail. 
That  is  simple  enough." 

"  To  say ;  yes,"  agreed  Hazel.  "  But  is  it  simple 
enough  to  do?  " 

274 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         275 

"  We'll  try,  anyhow,"  Sylvia  went  on.  Somehow 
she  seemed  to  have  recovered  her  spirits,  which  had 
been  dampened  by  the  assertion  of  Rose  that  they 
were  lost.  "  All  we'll  have  to  do,"  went  on  Roy's 
sister,  "  is  to  keep  going  up  instead  of  descending. 
We  want  to  get  on  the  heights,  where  we  can  get 
a  good  view." 

"  That  sounds  reasonable,"  Mrs.  Brownley  said. 
"  Suppose  we  try  it  ?  "  and  she  looked  questioningly 
at  her  charges. 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  call  out  before  we  stir  an 
other  step,"  Rose  said. 

"  What  for?  "  demanded  Sylvia. 

"  To  see  if  the  others  are  near  here.  If  they  are 
it  will  be  better  to  go  to  them  or  get  them  to  come 
to  us,  and  let  Pete  take  us  to  Bald  Mountain.  I 
don't  want  to  risk  trying  to  find  it  ourselves." 

"  Well,  perhaps  that  will  be  better,"  Sylvia  ad 
mitted.  "  We'll  call.  Mr.  Russman  and  the  others 
can't  be  very  far  back.  I  suppose  it  was  foolish 
of  us  to  come  on  without  them.  But  they  seemed 
to  be  quite  near,  and  I  thought  they  would  follow 
us." 

"  I  didn't  think  of  anything  but  of  getting  to 
Bald  Mountain,"  asserted  Rose. 

"  If  we  had  asked  that  old  man  he  might  have 
guided  us,"  Hazel  ventured. 

"  It's  too  late  to  think  of  that  now,"  sighed  Alice. 
"  We  shall  have  to  guide  ourselves." 

"  And  we  can  do  it  easily  enough,"  asserted  Sylvia, 


276         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

with  perhaps  more  conviction  than  she  really  felt. 
"  Come  on  now,  let's  turn  about  and  go  back.  And 
we  must  hurry,  for  it  is  getting  late." 

The  girls  noticed,  not  without  little  shivers  of  ap 
prehension,  that  the  shadows  were  lengthening  per 
ceptibly.  How  far  from  the  bungalow  they  were 
they  could  not  estimate.  And  how  far  they  were 
from  where  they  had  last  seen  their  friends  and  the 
guide  was  equally  a  matter  of  mere  supposition. 

"  Indeed  we  must  hasten,"  agreed  the  chaperon. 

She  did  not  speak  of  her  weariness.  They  were 
all  weary,  for  they  had  come  the  last  mile  or  so  at 
a  fast  pace,  spurred  on  by  the  hope  of  finding  Roy 
on  top  of  the  hill,  locally  called  Bald  Mountain. 

"  We  are  somewhat  like  the  King  of  France,"  said 
Sylvia,  with  a  laugh,  as  they  started  back.  "  We 
seem  to  have  marched  down  the  hill,  and  now  we 
are  marching  up  again." 

"  The  King  of  France  reversed  the  process,"  said 
Rose. 

"  Besides,  he  had  ten  thousand  men,"  added  Hazel. 

"  Just  one,  in  the  shape  of  a  guide,  would  be  very 
welcome  now,"  asserted  Alice. 

"  Oh,  we  must  learn  to  depend  more  on  our 
selves  ! "  Sylvia  exclaimed.  "  If  we  are  to  have 
Nowadays  Club  outings  every  year  we  must  learn 
not  to  get  lost  in  the  woods." 

"  I  still  refuse  to  admit  that  we  are  lost ! "  said 
Alice. 

"  So  do  I,"  Sylvia  agreed. 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         277 

They  were  in  better  spirits  now,  and  stepped  on 
with  lighter  hearts.  The  trail  led  slightly  upward, 
and  they  marveled,  now  that  they  were  cooler- 
headed,  how  they  had  ever  allowed  themselves  to 
keep  on  a  downward  path,  when  they  knew  they  were 
supposed  to  be  going  up  a  mountain  trail.  But  the 
excitement  of  the  moment  accounted  for  their  lack 
of  observation. 

It  was  not  until  they  reached  a  place  where  the 
trail  divided  that  they  came  to  a  halt,  and  once  more 
they  looked  at  one  another,  if  not  exactly  with  fear 
in  their  eyes,  at  least  with  shadows  of  doubt. 

"  I  didn't  notice  this  before,"  confessed  Sylvia, 
pointing  to  the  forked  paths. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Alice. 

"  I  thought  we  had  come  over  a  straight  path 
from  the  time  we  met  that  old  man,"  was  the  con 
tribution  of  Hazel. 

"  We  were  so  excited  we  didn't  know  what  we 
were  doing,"  Rose  declared.  "  Now,  the  question  is, 
which  path  did  we  come  over?  " 

They  stood  at  a  place  in  the  woods  where  three 
trails  met  in  the  shape  of  a  Y.  They  had  come  up 
the  right-hand  side  of  the  letter.  But  on  their  previ 
ous  trip  had  they  been  travelling  on  the  main  stem, 
or  on  the  left-hand  fork?  That  was  what  they  could 
not  tell. 

Sylvia  bent  over  close  to  the  ground,  as  she  had 
seen  Pete  do  several  times.  But  the  earth  of  the 
trail  was  hard  packed,  and  she  was  not  expert  enough 


278        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

to  read  the  "  sign  "  left  by  their  footprints.  Indeed 
she  could  see  none. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  arising,  "  I  give  up !  I  don't 
know  which  path  it  was." 

"  Let's  shut  our  eyes  and  pick  out  one  blindly," 
suggested  Alice. 

"  Don't  be  rash,"  Mrs.  Brownley  warned  them. 

"  But  what  can  we  do  ?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  Go  along  one  path  for  a  little  way,  and  see  if 
we  can't  pick  out  some  natural  landmark  that  we 
passed  coming  down,"  went  on  the  chaperon.  "  If 
we  can't  do  that,  say  within  half  a  mile,  we  may  be 
pretty  sure  we  are  on  the  wrong  trail,  and  we  can 
walk  back  and  try  the  other." 

That  seemed  reasonable  to  the  girls,  and  they  de 
cided  to  try  that  plan.  Again  hope  came  to  them  to 
drive  away  their  weariness !  But  as  they  looked  up 
and  saw  the  shadows  growing  longer  and  longer,  and 
noticed  the  wood  darkening  under  the  pall  of  ap 
proaching  night,  it  required  all  their  boldness  to  put 
on  a  brave  front.  They  all  tried  to  be  brave  for 
Sylvia's  sake,  for,  after  all,  was  she  not  suffering 
more  than  any  of  them,  save  perhaps  Rose? 

"  Forward!  "  cried  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  Time  is  too 
precious  to  waste  standing  still." 

As  they  went  along  the  path  they  had  selected 
the  conviction  became  an  ever-increasing  one  that 
it  was  not  the  path  they  had  come  over  at  first. 
They  saw  a  little  waterfall  they  were  sure  they  had 
not  passed  before. 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         279 

"  We're  wrong !  "  exclaimed  Sylvia.  "  We've  got 
to  go  back  and  try  over  again." 

There  was  nothing  else  to  do.  It  was  becoming 
dark  so  rapidly  now  that  they  looked  up  in  alarm, 
and  found  the  sky  becoming  rapidly  overcast  with 
clouds. 

"  We're  in  for  a  thunderstorm,"  declared  Rose,  in 
alarm. 

"  Well,  we're  not  afraid  of  lightning,"  asserted 
Sylvia. 

"  No,  but  it  will  make  it  so  much  more  difficult  to 
travel  and  find  the  path,"  Alice  objected. 

"  It  means  we  must  hurry  more  than  ever,"  Sylvia 
said. 

"  Suppose  we  shout  here,"  suggested  Sylvia. 
Their  previous  calls  had  been  unanswered. 

They  raised  their  shrill  voices  in  shouts  again  and 
again,  but  the  only  result  was  to  set  the  echoes 
reverberating,  and  to  strain  their  throats. 

"  Oh,  come  on,  we'll  find  the  trail  ourselves," 
Sylvia  finally  said. 

They  hastened  along,  but  had  not  reached  the  fork 
in  the  path  when  the  storm  burst. 

There  was  a  series  of  vivid  lightning  flashes,  the 
thunder  seemed  doubly  loud  out  in  that  wilderness, 
and  then  came  the  drenching  rain. 

"  Come  under  this  tree ! "  urged  Rose,  darting 
toward  a  beech. 

"  You  may  be  struck ! "  Hazel  warned  her. 

"  Have  to  take  a  chance,"  Rose  retorted.    "  Beech 


280         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

trees  are  the  safest,  I've  heard,  and  I  can't  stand 
out  in  the  rain." 

But  the  tree  was  not  much  shelter,  and  as  the 
shower  showed  no  indication  of  slackening,  and  as 
the  girls  were  now  fairly  desperate,  they  decided  to 
keep  on.  Their  clothes  could  stand  a  good  deal 
of  rain  before  becoming  wet  through,  and  their  shoes 
were  waterproof,  so  they  were  not  in  such  desperate 
plight  as  might  otherwise  have  been  the  case. 

But  it  grew  darker  and  darker,  and  at  last  they 
found  themselves  stumbling  along  in  the  woods,  trip 
ping  over  fallen  trees,  banging  into  trunks  and  get 
ting  tangled  in  underbrush. 

"  We're  off  the  trail !  "  cried  Sylvia.  "  We  can't 
go  on.  We  must  stop  or  we  may  come  to  some  harm." 

Frightened,  they  huddled  together,  while  the  rain 
beat  down  pitilessly. 

"  Oh,  help !  help !  "  suddenly  screamed  Rose.  It 
was  as  though  she  could  stand  the  strain  no  longer. 
"  Help !  help !  "  she  cried.  "  We  are  lost !  " 

Above  the  patter  of  the  rain  on  the  leaves,  and 
above  the  low  muttering  of  thunder  a  voice  answered : 

"  Stay  where  you  are.    We're  coming !  " 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 

FOUND 

SILENCE  followed  this,  to  the  girls  at  least,  mo 
mentous  announcement.  That  is  as  much  silence  as 
was  possible  under  the  circumstances,  with  the  noise 
of  the  storm  reverberating  through  the  forest. 

"  Did — did  you  hear  that?  "  gasped  Sylvia,  after 
a  pause. 

"  Of  course,"  answered  Hazel,  and  she  spoke  a  bit 
sharply.  As  if  her  nerves  were  near  the  breaking 
point. 

"  Was  it — was  it  a  voice?  "  Sylvia  went  on,  as 
though  she  could  not  quite  believe  the  evidence  of 
her  own  ears.  "  Was  it  a  voice,  or  one  of  those 
loons,  or  owls?  " 

"  It  was  a  'voice,'"  declared  Mrs.  Brownley.  "  I 
heard  it  distinctly.  It  must  be  some  of  our  party 
searching  for  us.  You  had  better  call  once  more, 
girls.  My  voice  simply  refuses  to  make  itself 
heard." 

"  Mr.  Russman !  Pete  !  Harry !  "  called  Sylvia. 
"  Where  are  you?  Come  to  us  !  " 

A  crashing  noise  sounded  in  the  underbrush,  but 
it  was  too  dark  to  see  by  whom  it  was  made.  Now 
and  then  a  flash  of  lightning  would  vividly  light  up 

281 


282        THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

the  scene,  but  it  was  of  such  brief  duration,  and 
produced  such  a  glare,  that  the  girls  and  their  chap 
eron  could  really  see  nothing  beyond  a  black  and 
dripping  circle  of  trees  that  girt  them  about.  Fol 
lowing  Sylvia's  cry,  though,  there  came  an  answer. 

"  Stay  where  you  are !  We're  coming.  Don't 
move.  There's  a  bad  fall  near  where  you  are  and 
you  may  slip  over.  Stand  still." 

"  That  doesn't  sound  like  any  of  our  friends ! " 
exclaimed  Alice. 

"  No,"  agreed  Hazel.  "  But  it's  some  one,  at  all 
events.  And  I  never  was  so  glad  in  all  my  life  before 
to  hear  a  human  voice.  It  may  be  some  of  the  other 
guides — those  of  Sam's  party." 

"  Could  it  be — could  it  be — Roy?  "  faltered  Rose. 

"  That  isn't  Roy's  voice,"  declared  Sylvia,  with 
decision.  "  I  only  wish  it  were  he !  But  he  is  prob 
ably  too  weak  to  answer  in  those  firm  tones." 

"  We're  coming,"  the  unseen  rescuers  went  on. 
"  Be  there  in  just  a  few  seconds  now ! " 

The  girls  could  see  lights  flashing  among  the  trees 
and  bushes.  Lights  that  were  not  the  vivid  glares  of 
the  sky-electricity.  The  storm  seemed  to  be  dying 
out,  at  least  the  thunder  was  not  so  loud  nor  the 
flashes  so  frequent,  but  the  drizzle  of  rain  still  kept 
up. 

The  girls  huddled  around  Mrs.  Brownley,  wet  and 
rather  miserable,  yet,  aside  from  the  depression 
caused  by  the  failure  to  find  Roy,  there  was  plenty 
of  spirit  and  spunk  left  in  each  and  every  one.  They 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         283 

were  wet,  tired  and  hungry,  but  they  had  not  given 
up  hope,  not  even  when  they  knew  they  were  lost. 

"  Oh,  but  to  think  of  the  walk  back  to  the  bun 
galow,"  half  groaned  Hazel.  "  Can  we  make  it  to 
night,  girls  ?  " 

"  We'll  have  to !  "  insisted  Sylvia. 

"  And  there  may  be  good  news  of  Roy  waiting  for 
us,"  said  Rose,  eagerly.  "  That  is,  if  this  isn't  a 
party  that  has  already  found  him." 

"  I  don't  believe  they  are  any  of  our  friends." 
Sylvia  spoke  in  a  low  voice.  "  They  would  know 
who  we  were,  and  they'd  call  us  by  name.  And  if 
they  had  found  poor  Roy  they'd  let  us  know  that 
the  first  thing." 

"  But  who  can  they  be  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  We'll  know  in  another  moment.  Here  they 
are!" 

A  number  of  lights  flashed  all  around.  They  came 
from  the  pocket  electric  torches  without  which  no 
camp  is  now  complete.  And  the  tiny  glows  were  in 
the  hands  of  four  young  men  who  crowded  up  along 
the  dripping  trail  to  face  the  lost  ones. 

"  Sorry  to  have  kept  you  waiting,"  said  the  leader, 
flashing  his  light  in  Sylvia's  face.  "  But  we  didn't 
expect  company,  and  we  had  gone  to  bed.  We  heard 
you  call  and " 

He  interrupted  himself  suddenly  to  exclaim: 

"  Great  pines  and  little  fir  trees !  It  is  Night ! 
Miss  Pursell!  What  in  the  world  are  you  doing 
here?  "  he  cried. 


284         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

"  Oh !  oh  !  "  gasped  Roy's  sister,  weakly.  In  an 
instant  she  had  recognised  Felton  Ware — the  Knight 
of  the  Overturned  Canoe — the  cavalier  of  the  dance. 
And  with  him  were  his  three  companions  who  had 
helped  to  give  the  girls  such  a  good  time  at  the 
hotel. 

"  Look  here,  fellows !  "  Felton  cried.  "  Here  are 
our  friends — the  pretty  girls." 

He  said  it — shamelessly — openly,  and  none  re 
sented  it.  The  said  pretty  girls  were  only  too  glad 
to  see  the  boys. 

"  Well,  if  this  isn't  a  go !  "  exclaimed  Jimmie  Pen- 
dleton. 

"  Is  it  true,  or  am  I  dreaming?  "  Bert  Young 
wanted  to  know. 

"  If  I  am  dreaming,  don't  wake  me  up,"  pleaded 
Carroll  Beach. 

"  But  I  say  !  "  went  on  Felton,  eagerly.  "  What 
are  you  doing  here?  Out  in  the  rain  at  night! 
Where's  your  camp?  What  has  happened?  You 
look " 

"  Don't  mention  our  looks,  young  man ! "  inter 
rupted  Aunt  Theodora.  "  We  know  we  must  be 
frights.  But  is  there  any  place  around  here  where 
we  can  stay — a  hotel  or  boarding-house?  We  are 
lost!" 

"  Why,  come  to  our  tent ! "  urged  the  Knight  of 
the  Overturned  Canoe,  eagerly.  "  We  came  up  here 
to  camp,  but  never  expected  to  see  you  folks  again. 
We  have  a  big  extra  tent,  ready  for  some  more  of 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         285 

the  fellows  we  expect  next  week.  You  can  all  fit 
into  that  nicely.  There  are  cots  in  it.  We  can  get 
you  up  some  kind  of  a  meal.  You  can't  possibly 
travel  through  the  woods  now.  Stay  with  us  until 
morning,  please." 

"  It  sounds  most  inviting,"  sighed  Sylvia. 

"  Welcome  to  our  woodland  camp,  Princess  of  the 
Night,"  said  Felton,  whimsically,  with  a  low  bow. 
"  I'm  sorry  we  haven't  a  red  velvet  carpet  to  spread 
to  the  tent,  but  truth  compe.ls  me  to  state  that  the 
trail  is  so  winding  that  it  would  take  a  very  large 
magic  carpet  to  cover  it.  But  what  has  happened?  " 
he  asked. 

Sylvia  told  him,  and  her  companions  told  him, 
singly,  in  a  chorus,  by  duets,  in  a  trio  and  then  filled 
in  any  gaps  that  were  left  with  a  grand  ensemble 
that  left  nothing  unrelated. 

Then  the  boys  led  the  way  back  to  their  camp.  A 
fire  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  tents  was  dying  down, 
but  there  was  dry  wood  to  pile  on,  and  soon  there 
was  a  roaring  blaze  adding  heat  to  its  cheerfulness. 
Coffee  was  quickly  made,  food  set  out,  and  in  the 
seclusion  of  a  large  tent  Sylvia  and  her  friends,  with 
Mrs.  Brownley,  made  themselves  comfortable. 

"  If  those  young  men  aren't  providential  I  never 
saw  any  persons  who  were,"  declared  the  chaperon, 
as  she  sat  on  the  edge  of  a  cot,  munching  a  sand 
wich  from  one  hand  and  waving  an  empty  coffee 
cup  with  the  other,  to  emphasise  her  point. 

"  They  certainly  are,"  agreed  Rose. 


286        THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

The  boys  did  everything  possible  for  their  unex 
pected  visitors,  and  said  they  would  escort  them 
back  to  the  bungalow  the  first  thing  in  the  morning. 
One  of  the  young  men  was  quite  familiar  with  the 
woodland  trails,  having  camped  in  that  neighbour 
hood  before. 

"  And  we'll  help  you  look  for  your  brother,"  added 
Felton.  "  Bald  Mountain  is  not  a  great  way  from 
here.  But  you  certainly  took  the  wrong  trail.  How 
ever,  we're  glad  to  see  you  again !  " 

"  Well  ? "  remarked  Hazel,  in  a  questioning  tone, 
as  she  sat  on  the  edge  of  her  cot,  after  the  boys  had 
said  "  good-night ;  "  and  she  looked  at  the  others,  the 
while  swinging  her  stockinged  feet  to  and  fro  to 
aid  in  drying  them,  for  their  shoes  had  been  wet 
through. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I'd  call  it  well,"  commented 
Sylvia,  reflectively,  "  but  I  suppose  we  ought  to  be 
thankful  that  none  of  us  is  really  ill.  That's  one 
blessing." 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Mrs.  Brownley,  "  that  is  a  blessing. 
We  came  out  of  the  predicament  very  fortunately,  I 
think." 

"  And  it  certainly  was  a  predicament,"  added  Rose, 
as  she  went  to  the  flap  of  the  tent  to  peer  out. 

"Looking  for  anything  in  particular?"  asked 
Alice. 

"Or  any  one?"  inquired  Sylvia,  with  decided 
emphasis. 

Rose  turned  quickly,  her  cheeks  showing  redder 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         287 

than  ever  in  the  glow  of  the  lantern.  Perhaps  it  was 
from  the  excitement  of  the  day,  however. 

"  I  just  wanted  to  see  what  the  boys  were  doing," 
she  answered.  "  I  believe  they  are  drying  our  shoes 
over  an  oil  stove,"  she  went  on.  "  I  can  just  see 
inside  their  cooking  tent — it's  open." 

"  Gracious !  I  hope  they  don't  cook  our  shoes !  " 
exclaimed  Alice,  with  a  laugh,  and  a  most  commend 
able  effort  to  lend  a  little  gaiety  to  a  situation  that 
was  certainly  in  need  of  it.  "  I  have  read  of  starving 
sailors  eating  their  shoe  laces.  Fortunately  my  walk 
ing  boots  are  button  ones,"  she  added,  with  another 
little  laugh. 

"  It's  only  when  laces  are  of  some  sort  of 
hide  that  they  make  soup  of  them,"  put  in  Mrs. 
Brownley,  deciding  to  do  what  she  could  to  help 
remove  the  load  from  Sylvia's  mind. 

"  That's  so,"  chimed  in  Hazel.  "  The  ordinary 
cloth  shoe  lace  would  not  make  a  very  appetising 
meal.  Though  I  suppose  they  could  boil  the  tongue 
of  a  shoe,  and  serve  it  in  some  sort  of  an  entree" 
she  went  on.  "  And  the  shoe  wouldn't  be  much  the 
worse  after  the  operation.  Look,  Rose,  since  you  have 
undertaken  the  post  of  observer,  and  tell  us  if  the 
boys  are  taking  the  tongues  out  of  our  shoes." 

"  So  they  won't  talk  in  their  sleep?  "  demanded 
Sylvia,  rising  to  the  occasion  with  a  joke — "  alleged," 
as  she  designated  it  afterward ;  when  they  were  going 
over  all  the  points  of  the  momentous  time. 

"  Aren't  we  silly  ?  "  demanded  Hazel. 


288         THE    NOWADAY?   GIRLS 

"It's  just  as  well  to  try  to  be  cheerful,"  said 
the  chaperon.  "  Nothing  is  so  bad  as  to  lose  hope, 
and  while  we  haven't  in  the  least  done  that,  still  it  is 
just  as  well  to  try  to  have  a  little  reserve  fund  of 
good-humor  to  fall  back  on  in  times  of  emergency. 
Oh,  I  didn't  quite  mean  that ! "  she  added,  quickly, 
as  she  caught  a  look  of  alarm  on  Sylvia's  face. 

"  It  doesn't  matter,"  was  the  quiet  comment  of 
Roy's  sister.  "  It  is  just  as  well  to  recognise  the  fact 
that  we — that  I — may  have  to  face  an — emergency." 

She  halted  and  stumbled  over  the  word,  but  the 
others  knew  how  hard  it  must  have  been  for  her  to 
speak  it.  And  they  all  realised  what  a  grim  emer 
gency  might  confront  them. 

But  the  little  cloud  soon  passed,  for  Rose — brave 
little  Rose — rising  gallantly  to  the  occasion,  ex 
claimed  :  £ 

"  Those  silly  boys !  " 

"What  are  they  up  to  now?"  asked  Hazel,  for 
Rose  was  still  at  the  tent-flap. 

"  Why,  they're  dancing  around,  holding  our  shoes, 
one  on  each  hand,  and  actually  they  are  waltzing — 
doing  the  hesitation  with  the  shoes  on  their  hands, 
held  in  the  air." 

"  Really  ?  "  demanded  Sylvia,  and  there  was  a  rush 
on  the  part  of  the  three  girls  to  join  Rose  at  the 
flap.  Mrs.  Brownley  remained  sitting  with  dignity 
on  the  edge  of  a  cot.  That  is  with  dignity,  but  with 
certain  reservations,  for  she  had  taken  off  some  of 
her  damp  garments  and  she  was  just  then  engaged  in 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         289 

the  process  of  shuffling  her  stockinged  feet  along  a 
strip  of  carpet  in  the  middle  of  the  tent. 

"  It  was  the  only  way  to  bring  back  the  circulation 
and  get  them  warm,"  she  explained  afterward. 

"  The  hesitation?  It's  a  onestep  !  "  declared  Hazel, 
as  she  peered  from  their  tent  into  the  lighted  and 
partly-open  one  where  the  boys  were  engaged  in  some 
mysterious  rite. 

"  Yes,  that's  what  they're  doing,"  she  continued, 
peering  over  Sylvia's  shoulder.  "  I  wonder  which 
one  has  my  shoes  ?  " 

"  As  if  it  made  any  difference,"  mocked  Alice. 

"  Doesn't  it.  make  a  difference  with  whom  one 
dances  ?  "  asked  Hazel. 

"  If  you  call  that  a  dance ! "  said  Alice. 

"  It  is  one — by  proxy,"  suggested  Sylvia.  "  Oh, 
the  silly  boys !  " 

The  Knight  of  the  Overturned  Canoe  and  his  chums 
had  offered  to  dry  the  water-soaked  shoes  of  their 
guests.  And  now  the  lads  were  holding  the  footwear 
on  their  hands,  over  the  blaze  of  their  cooking-tent 
oil  stove,  and  to  vary  the  proceeding,  I  suppose,  now 
and  then  one  of  them  would  glide  off,  whistling  some 
merry  air,  meanwhile  waving  aloft  his  hands  (on 
which  were  the  shoes)  in  a  sort  of  syncopated  dance 
rhythm. 

"  Well,  they  are  trying  to  be  cheerful,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley,  as  she  came  to  have  a  peep. 

"  The  more  credit  to  them,  considering  what  com 
pany  they  have  on  their  hands,"  said  Hazel. 


290        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Nothing  on  their  hands  but  shoes,"  said  Alice, 
laughing. 

"  Besides,  they  were  very  glad  to  meet  us,"  added 
Rose. 

"  They  certainly  are  very  nice  boys,"  declared 
Sylvia.  "  And,  oh,  I  am  so  glad  they  found  us ! 
Think  of  what  we  would  have  done  if  we  had  had  to 
stay  in  the  woods  all  night ! " 

"  I  never  would  have  stayed,"  declared  Alice.  "  I 
simply  would  have  expired  then  and  there." 

"  Then  it  certainly  is  a  good  thing  the  boys  found 
us,"  Mrs.  Brownley  remarked.  "  Now,  girls,  I  don't 
want  to  dictate  to  you,  but  really,  I  think  you  ought 
to  get  to  bed.  We  are  all  cold  and  damp,  and  if  we 
get  off  some  of  our  wet  things,  and  crawl  in  between 
the  blankets,  it  may  prevent  us  from  taking  cold. 
The  sheets  are  not  at  all  clammy,"  she  went  on,  as 
she  turned  back  the  covers  of  her  cot,  and  felt  of 
the  linen.  "  I  must  say  those  boys  are  clever  house 
keepers  !  I  would  not  have  believed  it." 

"  Which  is  praise,  indeed,  even  if  it  is  not  from — 
Oh,  I  never  can  think  of  his  name ! "  cried  Alice. 

"  Sir  Hubert  Stanley  ?  "  queried  Rose. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  one.  And  so  you  think  the  boys 
— I'm  going  to  call  them  our  boys,"  went  on  Alice, 
"are  good  housekeepers,  Aunt  Theodora?" 

"  Very  good  indeed — for  boys,"  and  she  thus 
qualified  it. 

"  Well,  I  think  we'll  take  your  advice,  at  any 
rate,"  said  Sylvia.  "  I'm  beginning  to  feel  chilly." 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS 

"  The  boys  have  stopped  their  shoe-dance,"  re 
ported  Rose.  "Oh!  and  one  of  them  is  coming  this 
way ! "  she  cried,  as  she  scurried  away  from  the  tent- 
flap,  for  the  girls,  as  well  as  Mrs.  Brownley,  were  not 
in  a  presentable  condition. 

However,  there  was  no  cause  for  alarm,  for  when 
still  at  a  distance  from  the  tent,  Bert  Young  called 
out: 

"  I  say,  wouldn't  you  like  an  oil  stove  in  there,  to 
dry  yourselves  out  ?  " 

"  Indeed  we  would,"  answered  Mrs.  Brownley. 
"  Please  bring  it,  unlighted,  and  leave  it  outside  the 
tent.  We'll  get  it." 

"  Sounds  like  an  order  for  fried  oysters,"  com 
mented  Alice. 

"  Right-O ! "  came  the  reply,  and  a  little  later  a 
modern  oil  stove  was  glowing  in  the  girls'  tent.  Its 
warmth  was  grateful,  and  they  hung  some  of  their 
garments  on  chairs  near  it  before  getting  into  the 
cots. 

They  did  not  go  to  sleep  at  once — it  would  have 
been  a  physical  impossibility  under  the  circumstances 
— so  they  talked,  while  Mrs.  Brownley  kept  one  eye 
on  the  stove,  fearing  it  might  smoke  or  explode,  so 
she  said. 

But  it  was  a  very  well-behaved  stove,  and,  when  the 
tent  was  comfortably  warmed,  the  flame  was  turned 
out,  and  the  wayfarers  tried  to  get  a  little  rest. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  Sylvia  or  any  of  her  chums 
passed  a  restful  or  comfortable  night.  They  were 


292        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

given  the  best  of  the  young  men's  hospitality,  but 
one  cannot  be  wet  through  in  the  woods  on  a  lost 
trail,  torn  by  anxiety  regarding  a  missing  loved 
one,  be  anxious  about  those  of  a  party  from  whom 
one  is  separated,  and  have  pleasant  dreams.  It  is 
too  much  to  expect. 

But  the  night  finally  passed,  and  with  it  the  rain. 
The  sun  came  up  warm,  with  a  promise  of  soon 
drying  the  woods,  and  after  breakfast  the  party  of 
young  men  prepared  to  accompany  their  guests  back 
to  the  Russman  bungalow.  The  camp  of  Felton  and 
his  chums,  in  the  locality  where  the  girls  found 
them,  had  been  planned  long  before  they  met  at  the 
dance,  but  neither  party  was  aware  of  the  other's 
intention. 

"  But  it  was  the  luckiest  thing  in  the  world," 
declared  Felton,  "  that  you  stopped  and  called  when 
you  did.  Look,"  and  he  showed  Sylvia  how  the  trail 
they  were  on  when  they  had  come  to  a  halt  led  dan 
gerously  near  a  high  cliff.  Sylvia  shuddered  when 
she  saw  it. 

"  When  we  head  back  for  the  bungalow,  can't  we 
go  by  way  of  Bald  Mountain?"  asked  Sylvia,  as 
they  were  about  to  start.  "  It  is  barely  possible  that 
my  poor  brother  may  be  there." 

"  It  is  a  little  longer  way,"  Felton  explained,  "  but 
of  course  we  can  use  that  route." 

"  And  we  may  meet  some  of  the  guides,  or  others 
on  the  way,"  put  in  Rose,  "  who  will  give  us  good 
news." 


IN    THE   ADIRONDACKS         293 

"  Perhaps,"  agreed  Alice. 

The  girls  were  in  better  spirits  now,  though  the 
strain  was  showing  on  Sylvia.  However,  she  kept  up 
bravely,  and  Rose,  too,  who  had  her  own  grief,  put 
it  aside  to  comfort  Roy's  sister. 

They  tramped  through  the  woods,  now  glorious 
with  sunshine.  Finally  Bald  Mountain  loomed  before 
them.  They  must  cross  it  to  get  on  the  trail  that  led 
to  the  Russman  bungalow. 

Sylvia  and  Felton  were  in  the  lead,  the  girl  press 
ing  on  eagerly,  and  both  of  them,  as  well  as  every 
other  member  of  the  party,  looked  closely  for  any 
signs  of  the  missing  one.  Occasionally  they  would 
stop  and  shout,  but  they  neither  saw  nor  heard  aught 
of  the  other  seekers — the  guides  or  the  Russman 
party. 

It  was  near  the  top  of  Bald  Mountain,  when 
Sylvia,  who  was  a  few  steps  in  advance,  passed 
around  a  turn  in  the  trail.  Before  her  was  an  over 
hanging  stone,  forming  a  sort  of  niche  in  the  side 
of  the  shaling  rock  of  which  the  hill  was  formed.  A 
huddled  heap  in  the  niche  attracted  her  attention. 

She  caught  her  breath  sharply,  and  grasped  the 
arm  of  her  companion. 

"  Look !    Look !  "  Sylvia  whispered. 

"  It's — it's  a  man,"  answered  Felton.  "  Can  it 
be " 

"  It's  Roy !  It's  my  brother !  "  Sylvia  cried  aloud. 
"I've  found  him!" 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

RECOVERY 

SYLVIA  was  so  overcome  for  the  moment,  not  know 
ing  what  might  be  her  further  discovery,  that  she 
trembled  violently,  and  swayed  as  though  about  to 
fall.  Felton  put  out  his  arms  to  catch  her,  but  she 
fought  back  the  weakness  and  smiled  faintly  at  him. 

"  I — I  am  all  right,"  she  assured  him. 

"Really?"  he  asked.  Mrs.  Brownley  came  hur 
rying  up. 

"  What  is  it?  "  she  asked. 

"  We — we  have  found  him,"  whispered  Sylvia. 
"  But  I  am  afraid,  oh,  I  am  so  afraid " 

She  did  not  finish,  but  they  all  knew  what  she 
meant. 

Felton  said  not  a  word.  He  walked  steadily  up  to 
the  huddled  figure  lying  under  the  ledge  of  rock. 
The  sun  was  slanting  into  the  niche. 

Sylvia  forced  herself  to  follow  him,  and  watched, 
as  if  fascinated,  while  her  Knight  leaned  over  the 
figure  of  her  brother.  Felton  touched  Roy  with  a 
tender  hand,  and  then,  after  a  moment — a  moment 
of  suspense — fraught  with  an  agony  that  made  it 
seem  a  year,  he  cried  out : 

"  He's  all  right !    He's  alive — and  sleeping !  " 
294 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         295 

A  silent  prayer  of  thankfulness  welled  up,  not 
only  in  the  heart  of  Sylvia,  but  in  the  hearts  of  all 
her  friends. 

As  they  gathered  around,  Sylvia  kneeling  on  the 
hard,  stone  floor  of  the  niche  beside  her  brother,  he 
opened  his  eyes.  And  it  needed  but  a  glance  to  show 
that  reason  was  again  on  her  throne.  He  looked 
weak  and  emaciated  and  showed  the  effects  of  the 
terrible  sufferings  through  which  he  had  passed,  but 
his  eyes  no  longer  glowed  with  the  fire  of  delirium. 

Roy  sat  up,  gazed  about  him,  but  did  not  seem 
at  all  surprised  at  his  condition  or  location — that  is, 
for  a  moment.  He  looked  at  Sylvia  recognisingly, 
and  spoke  coolly  but  in  a  weak  voice: 

"  Hello,  sis !     How's  everybody  ?  " 

Sylvia  could  not  keep  a  tremor  out  of  her  voice 
as  she  answered: 

"  All  well.    And  you,  Roy?  " 

"  Oh,  I— I'm  feeling  better.  I "  And  then 

he  seemed  to  feel  the  strangeness  of  his  condition,  and 
realise  that  something  unusual  had  occurred.  A 
great  wonder  showed  in  his  fever-sunken  eyes.  He 
tried  to  get  up,  but  fell  back  weakly.  Sylvia  put 
her  arm  under  him,  as  did  Felton,  and  they  held 
Roy  up  together. 

"  Why — why — what  has  happened  ?  "  he  stam 
mered. 

"Haven't  you  any  recollection?"  Sylvia  asked. 

"No.    I— I !" 

He  put  his  hand  up  to  his  head. 


296        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

"  Take  it  easy  now,  old  man,"  said  Felton,  in  a 
low  voice.  "  Bring  up  that  vacuum  Dottle,  Carroll," 
he  ordered.  "  A  sip  of  hot  coffee  will  warm  you  up, 
Roy." 

Slowly  Roy  drank  the  hot  beverage.  The  wonder 
in  his  questioning  eyes  grew,  as  he  looked  at  Sylvia 
and  her  friends.  The  party  had  brought  food  with 
them,  and  Roy  was  given  some  sparingly,  for  it  was 
evident  that  he  was  half-starved.  Gradually  a  little 
strength  came  back  to  him. 

"  But  what  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  he  asked.  "  How 
did  I  get  here?  How  did  you  get  here,  Sylvia? 
And  Rose?" 

He  smiled  at  her,  and  put  out  his  hand,  which  she 
clasped  warmly. 

"  Look  here,  old  man,"  said  Felton.  "  I  think 
explanations  had  better  be  deferred  until  you  are  a 
little  stronger.  We'll  get  some  sort  of  a  conveyance, 
and  have  you  taken  to  the  bungalow.  You  need  a 
doctor,  I'm  thinking." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Roy,  in  puzzled  fashion.  "  I 
seem  to  remember  something  about  a  doctor.  I  know 
I  went  out  in  the  woods  to  get  something,  but  I  don't 
recall  what  it  was.  It  rained,  and  I  walked  about 
a  thousand  miles,  I  guess.  Then  I  was  very  tired 
and  I  crawled  in  here.  I  must  have  slept  the  clock 
around,  for  it  was  sunrise  when  I  came  here,  and  it's 
sunrise  again.  But  I  can't  understand  it  all.  I  feel 
a  lot  better — up  here,"  and  he  put  his  hand  to  his 
head. 


IN   THE  ADIRONDACKS         297 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad !  "  Sylvia  murmured.  She  was 
sure  her  brother  was  now  in  his  right  mind,  though 
very  weak. 

It  would  be  a  problem  to  get  him  back  to  the 
bungalow,  but  the  boys  helped  solve  that.  They 
made  a  litter  of  some  boughs  and  poles  and  carried 
Roy  to  the  nearest  road.  Then  some  one  went  for 
a  waggon,  the  bottom  of  which  was  filled  with  straw. 
Roy  protested  that  he  could  sit  up,  but  Mrs.  Brown- 
ley  took  charge  of  him,  as  she  knew  something  of 
nursing,  and  made  him  lie  down. 

"  It's  a  pretty  long  drill  to  the  Russman  bun 
galow,"  suggested  Felton.  "  Now  there's  a  pretty 
good  sanitarium,  with  some  doctors  our  family  know, 
not  far  from  here.  Why  not  take  him  there?  " 

"  We  will !  "  Sylvia  quickly  decided.  Roy  made 
no  objection.  He  smiled  up  into  his  sister's  face, 
reached  out  for  the  hand  of  Rose  again,  and  seemed 
content. 

The  sanitarium  of  which  Felton  had  spoken  proved 
to  be  just  the  place  for  Roy.  He  needed  medical 
treatment  of  a  different  sort  from  that  his  ailment 
had  at  first  called  for.  The  head  doctor  knew  Syl 
via's  "  Knight,"  as  she  laughingly  called  him,  and 
the  physician  promised  to  give  Roy  every  care  and 
attention. 

Sylvia  and  Rose  arranged  to  stay  at  a  boarding- 
house  connected  with  the  institution,  while  Mrs. 
Brownley,  Alice  and  Hazel  would  return  to  the  Russ 
man  bungalow,  tell  the  good  news,  get  their  own 


298        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

belongings,  as  well  as  those  of  Rose  and  Sylvia,  and 
join  them  later. 

Felton  and  his  chums  would  pilot  the  party  to 
the  "  deserted  bungalow,"  as  it  was  occasionally 
called,  and  then  they  would  return  to  their  own 
camp. 

These  arrangements  were  carried  out.  On  the 
way  to  the  bungalow  the  party  met  some  of  the 
guides  who  were  searching  for  the  lost  girls  and 
Mrs.  Brownley.  The  good  news  was  soon  spread, 
and  again  Old  Sam  blew  the  tidings  on  his  conch 
horn.  The  search  had  ended. 

"  But,  oh !  I  wonder  if  Roy  will  remember  that 
missing  formula,  that  means  so  much  to  him?"  said 
Rose  to  Sylvia. 

"  It  will  be  hard  to  say,"  was  the  answer.  "  We 
must  not  hope  for  too  much." 

Roy's  physical  improvement  was  rapid,  once  he 
was  given  the  proper  care  and  treatment  at  the 
sanitarium.  The  shock  and  exposure  while  wander 
ing  in  the  woods  had  restored  his  mind.  He  pro 
gressed  every  hour,  it  seemed,  now  that  Sylvia  and 
Rose  were  with  him.  Harry  Montray  was  again  to 
take  up  his  quarters  with  his  friend,  and  soon  the 
party  of  Nowadays  Girls  was  complete  once  more, 
with  the  addition  of  Roy  and  Harry. 

As  yet  nothing  had  been  said  to  Roy  regarding 
the  missing  formula.  His  memory  came  back  to  him, 
and  he  recalled  everything  up  to  the  time  of  rushing 
out  of  the  bungalow  in  a  delirium  and  off  into  the 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACK^         299 

woods.  What  happened  to  him  there,  neither  he 
nor  any  one  else  could  say. 

It  was  apparent  that  he  had  wandered  far.  What 
he  ate,  if  anything,  no  one  knew,  but  unconsciously 
he  may  have  appropriated  food  from  some  camp 
from  which  the  owners  were  temporarily  absent. 
And  finally  he  had  wandered  to  Bald  Mountain,  and 
fallen  into  a  natural  sleep  as  the  fever  left  him. 
Luckily  he  had  not  been  much  out  in  the  wet,  though 
heavy  dews  had  drenched  him. 

Every  day  saw  a  further  improvement  in  the  in 
valid,  until  at  last  came  a  time  when  he  could  go 
out  into  the  woods  with  his  sister  and  the  other 
girls. 

And  then,  like  a  flash  from  a  clear  sky,  there  came 
to  Roy  that  which  he  had  found  and  lost — the  mem 
ory  of  the  formula. 

They  were  all  walking  in  the  beautiful  woods  one 
day  when  Roy  suddenly  began  sniffing  the  air,  as 
though  some  new  odour,  different  from  that  of 
balsam  and  fir,  came  to  him. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Sylvia. 

"  That  smell — what  is  it  ?  "  he  demanded,  sharply. 

"  Oh,  it's  a  menthol  pencil  I'm  using,"  said  Mrs. 
Brownley.  "  I  have  a  slight  headache,  and  that 
nearly  always  cures  it.  It's  simply  menthol,  and  per 
haps — 

"  That's  it !  "  cried  Roy,  interrupting.  "  That's 
where  the  whole  trouble  is !  The  menthol  smell  brings 
it  all  back  to  me — that  and  the  name !  It's  methane 


300        THE   NOWADAYS  GIRLS 

— that's  what  I  need  to  use  to  complete  the  formula ! 
It's  methane!  That  one  element  slipped  from  me, 
and  I  couldn't  recall  it  to  save  my  life.  The  mention 
of  menthol  brought  it  back  to  me,  though  methane 
isn't  at  all  like  menthol.  It  was  just  the  smell  and 
the  similarity  of  names." 

"  But  what  does  it  all  mean?  "  asked  Rose,  looking 
bewildered. 

"  It  means  that  I  have  rediscovered  the  chemical 
formula  I  lost ! "  Roy  cried.  "  It's  complete  now. 
I  must  write  it  down  before  I  lose  it  again." 

He  scribbled  some  chemical  symbols  on  a  bit  of 
white  birch  bark  that  Sylvia  hastily  tore  from  a 
tree  for  him,  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  But  not 
before  he  had  looked  at  it  for  a  moment,  murmuring : 

"  Ah,  there  you  are !  You  shan't  get  away  from 
me  again !  I  have  the  lost  formula !  Now  I'll  show 
'em  what's  what !  " 

"  Oh,  Roy,  I  am  so  glad ! "  cried  Sylvia,  her  eyes 
bright  with  tears — tears  of  joy. 

And  Harry  Montray  rejoiced  with  his  friend  over 
the  recovery  of  the  valuable  discovery.  He  insisted 
on  sending  a  wire  to  the  firm  in  New  York,  and  Roy 
received  a  congratulatory  telegram  in  response.  It 
meant  much  to  the  firm,  and  more  perhaps  to  Roy 
in  the  way  of  honour  and  wealth. 

And  now  my  little  story  is  drawing  to  a  close. 
Indeed  there  is  really  nothing  left  to  tell.  For  with 
Roy's  physical  and  mental  recovery,  which  waxed 
more  perfect  every  day,  all  the  worriment  of  Sylvia 


IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS         301 

and  Rose,  not  to  mention  that  of  their  friends,  passed 
away. 

Then  came  happy  times  for  the  Nowadays  Girls 
and  the  boys;  for  the  Knight  of  the  Overturned 
Canoe  and  his  chums  came  to  see  them  quite  often. 
Indeed,  after  Roy  was  able  to  leave  the  sanitarium 
he  and  Sylvia  arranged  to  open  a  camp  for  them 
selves  in  the  woods,  and  there  entertain  their  friends. 
And  this  was  done. 

Canoeing,  boating,  fishing,  long  tramps  in  the 
woods,  pleasant  evenings  about  the  camp  fire,  an 
occasional  dance — all  this  made  up  the  remainder  of 
a  happy  summer. 

"  Well,  how  did  you  like  my  Adirondack  outing?  " 
asked  Sylvia  of  her  girl  chums  one  day  when,  regret 
fully  enough,  they  began  to  think  of  returning  to 
the  city  and  preparing  for  their  college  careers. 

"It  was  just  perfectly  all  right,  my  dear!"  said 
Rose,  as  she  went  down  the  path  toward  the  lake  in 
response  to  a  call  from  Roy,  who  was  in  a  canoe. 

"  Couldn't  have  been  better  !  "  declared  Hazel. 

"  And  if  I  were  only  sure  we  would  have  as 
scrumptious  a  time  next  season  I  would  be  perfectly 
happy,"  sighed  Alice. 

"  We  shall  go  somewhere,"  Sylvia  decided.  "  The 
Nowadays  Club  will  live  for  many  years.  But  we 
have  plenty  of  time  to  pick  out  another  place  before 
next  summer." 

And  those  of  you  who  care  to  follow  the  future 
fortunes,  fun  and  frolic  of  our  friends  may  do  so 


302         THE   NOWADAYS   GIRLS 

in  the  next  volume  of  this  series,  to  be  called :  "  The 
Nowadays  Girls  on  Casco  Bay;  or,  The  Treasure 
Box  of  Orr's  Island." 

The  outing  was  over.  By  easy  stages  Sylvia  and 
her  chums  were  returning  from  the  Adirondacks. 
Once  more  they  stopped  at  Saranac  Inn.  It  was 
a  night  of  the  dance.  Sylvia  sat  out  on  a  veranda 
in  the  shadows. 

"  May  I  have  this  next  waltz?  "  a  voice  murmured 
at  her  ear. 

"  What  is  it?  "  she  asked.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
she  did  not  ask  "  who." 

"  A  canoe  glide,"  was  the  laughing  answer. 
"May  I?" 

"  You  may,"  said  Sylvia. 

And,  as  she  joined  her  companions  in  the  room 
where  the  dreamy  music  called  to  willing  feet,  we  will 
take  leave  of  her  and  the  other  Nowadays  Girls. 


THE   END 


THE  NEW 
DOLLAR  JUVENILES 

WHY? 

We  are  publishing  the  following  new  series  of  dollar 
Juveniles,  hoping  that  the  public  will  support  our 
efforts  to  give  them  good  stories  attractively  illustrated 
at  a  reasonable  price.  We  trust  that  this  project  will 
meet  with  general  approval. 

THE  NOWADAYS  GIRLS  IN  THE 

ADIRONDACKS;  or,  THE  DESERTED 
BUNGALOW  ON  SARANAC  LAKE 

By  GERTRUDE  CALVERT  HALL 
An  outdoor  story  for  girls 

THE  TRAIL  BOYS  OF  THE  PLAINS; 

or,  THE  HUNT  FOR  THE  BIG  BUFFALO 

By  JAY  WINTHROP  ALLEN 
A  Western  adventure  story  for  boys 

BETWEEN  THE  LINES  IN  BELGIUM 

By  FRANKLIN  T.  AMES 

BETWEEN  THE  LINES  IN  FRANCE 

By  FRANKLIN  T.  AMES 
Two  boys'  adventure  stories  of  the  great  war 


University  of  California 

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